Gaza Herald – Gaza’s forensic authorities said they have identified 99 bodies out of the 330 remains handed over by Israel under the prisoner-exchange framework. The bodies were transferred through the International Committee of the Red Cross, with teams working around the clock to match what they can to missing persons.
Officials confirmed that the bodies Israel returned were seized from various locations since the genocide began on October 7, 2023. Forensic experts said nearly all of the remains show signs of severe torture or execution, including blindfolds, bound hands, deep wounds, fractured bones, strangulation marks, and burned or mutilated faces.
Because Israel provided no personal data, Gaza’s committee published photos of the bodies online to help families identify them. Many cases remain impossible to confirm due to the extreme level of disfigurement. With Gaza lacking forensic labs, DNA tools, and medical capacity, authorities are forced to bury dozens in mass graves.
Forensic specialists say Israel is committing crimes “against Palestinians both alive and dead,” stressing that withholding identities and returning mutilated bodies adds immense suffering to families searching for their loved ones.
The genocide has killed and wounded over 240,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, left 11,000 missing, and displaced hundreds of thousands, while entire cities in Gaza lie in ruins.
