Returned bodies of Palestinians show signs of abuse before death

Some of the 90 bodies of Palestinians returned to Gaza by Israeli authorities on Wednesday, October 15 showed signs of abuse.

The bodies were returned as per the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. According to a report by The Guardian, doctors said there were marks of blind folds, hand cuffs and bullet wounds in the heads.

As part of the ceasefire agreement Hamas also returned bodies of some Israeli hostages who died during the 2-year long conflict. Israel returned bodies of Palestinians in two batches of 45; the hand over of bodies were overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

According to doctors from the Nasser Hospital from Gaza City, Khan Younis, which received the bodies of Palestinians there was considerable evidence of beatings and summary executions, and that none of the bodies were identifiable.

“Almost all of them had been blindfolded, and had been bound up and they had gunshots between the eyes. Almost all of them had been executed,” Dr Ahmed al-Farra, the head of Nasser hospital’s paediatric department was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

The doctor further said that the patches of skin were discoloured suggesting that the people were beaten before being killed. He added that the bodies were handed over by Israel to the ICRC without dentification.

Nasser hospital authorities asked relatives of the missing Palestinians to identify the bodies.

Earlier on Wednesday, Hamas aid it had handed back the remains of all the deceased hostages that it can reach, as the Israeli military confirmed the Red Cross had received two more bodies in Gaza.