Only 89 of 300 bodies of Palestinian detainees released ID'd: Gaza MoH

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 14:59

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Bodies of unidentified Palestinians returned by Israeli occupation forces are placed at a warehouse in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, October 31, 2025 (AP)

15 bodies of Palestinian martyrs were handed over by the Israeli occupation through coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), raising the total number of released bodies to 300, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Friday.

Of those, only 89 have been formally identified, while the process of examining, documenting, and preparing the remaining bodies for handover to families is ongoing. The Ministry confirmed that medical teams continue to follow official procedures in handling the bodies of the martyrs with care and dignity.

Bodies mutilated, unrecognizable

On October 21, Gaza health officials revealed that at least 135 mutilated bodies of Palestinians returned by "Israel" were previously held at the notorious Sde Teiman concentration camp in southern occupied Palestine, which is already under investigation for torture and deaths in custody.

Dr. Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, and a spokesperson for Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, told The Guardian that documents found inside the body bags indicated all the remains originated from Sde Teiman. The site, previously exposed for keeping Palestinian detainees in cages, blindfolded, handcuffed, shackled to hospital beds, and forced to wear nappies, has long been associated with severe human rights abuses.

“The document tags inside the body bags are written in Hebrew and clearly indicate that the remains were held at Sde Teiman,” al-Bursh said. “The tags also showed that DNA tests had been carried out on some of them there.”

Pictures too graphic to publish

"Israel" has been allegedly conducting an ongoing criminal investigation into the deaths of 36 Palestinians who were detained at the same facility.

Images of the Palestinian victims reviewed by The Guardian, too graphic to publish, show several of the deceased blindfolded, their hands tied behind their backs, and one with a rope around his neck.

Doctors: ‘Israel’ carried out killings, torture of Palestinians

Moreover, doctors in Khan Younis who examined the bodies said both autopsies and field observations “clearly indicate that Israel carried out acts of murder, summary executions and systematic torture against many of the Palestinians.” Health officials reported “clear signs of direct gunfire at point-blank range and bodies crushed beneath Israeli tank tracks.”

Eyad Barhoum, administrative director of the Nasser Medical Complex, said the bodies arrived “with no names but just codes,” adding that the process of identifying them had begun.

Evidence strongly suggests that many of the Palestinians were executed. Sde Teiman serves both as a detention camp notorious for deaths in custody and as a storage site for bodies abducted from Gaza. Human rights groups are calling for an investigation to determine how many victims died at the facility.

Toll keeps rising

Over 72 hours, 10 additional martyrs have arrived at hospitals across the Gaza Strip, including nine retrieved from under the rubble, along with six injured Palestinians.

Despite ongoing efforts, the Health Ministry noted that several victims remain trapped under collapsed buildings and in inaccessible areas, as ambulance and civil defense teams continue to face major obstacles in reaching them due to extensive destruction and security constraints.

Ceasefire toll and updated statistics

Since the ceasefire on October 11, 2025, the Ministry has recorded the following:

Martyrs since ceasefire: 241
Injuries since ceasefire: 614
Bodies retrieved since ceasefire: 522

These figures reflect the continued humanitarian toll due to daily Israeli aggressions despite the declared ceasefire

According to the Ministry’s latest cumulative data, Israeli aggression since October 7, 2023, has claimed the lives of 69,169 Palestinians and left 170,685 others injured.

The updated figures, as per the Ministry, include 284 martyrs whose data were reviewed and officially approved by the Governmental Committee for the Accreditation of Martyrs between October 31 and November 7, 2025.

Over 10,000 missing Palestinians still buried under rubble: Report

The National Committee for Missing Persons announced on Thursday that more than 10,000 individuals remain buried beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings across the Gaza Strip.

The committee urged the international community to dispatch specialized rescue teams to locate and recover the bodies of Gaza’s missing persons. It also called for the immediate entry of the necessary equipment to carry out this critical humanitarian task.

“This is an urgent humanitarian mission that cannot be delayed,” the committee emphasized in a public statement.

On November 3, the Gaza Ministry of Health stated that rescue and civil defense teams continue to face extreme difficulties accessing areas targeted by Israeli strikes, stating that many victims of the Israeli aggressions on Gaza still remain trapped under the debris.

The Government Operations Room for Emergency Interventions in the Gaza Strip also stated to the United Nations on Monday that Gaza faces a great flooding risk due to the extensive destruction inflicted on the infrastructure throughout the war.

In October, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that "the extent of damage in Gaza City alone encompasses 83% of the structures. About 81,000 housing units have been damaged.”

Israeli blockade hindering rescue efforts

The appeal comes amid the ongoing Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza since the beginning of the war. The siege has severely hampered rescue operations and efforts to retrieve the bodies trapped under collapsed structures.

Local authorities and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that the continued denial of access for rescue equipment and personnel exacerbates the already dire situation in Gaza.

As the war drags on and neighborhoods remain flattened, the number of Gaza missing persons continues to rise, with thousands of families left without closure or the ability to bury their loved ones.