Israel has returned 30 bodies of slain Palestinians to the Gaza Strip, with several showing signs of torture, even as new Israeli air strikes killed three people on Friday despite a truce.
The bodies, handed over via the International Committee of the Red Cross, add to growing outrage over ongoing violations amid the war’s uneasy pause.
The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed receiving 30 bodies of detainees from Israel, bringing the total number of remains returned to 225. Medical teams are working to identify the victims before notifying families.
Officials said the return occurred through the Red Cross while Israeli forces simultaneously carried out strikes across the enclave, killing at least three Palestinians.
One man was killed and his brother wounded by Israeli gunfire in Gaza City’s Shujayea neighborhood, while another was killed in the Jabalia refugee camp. A third victim succumbed to wounds from previous attacks.
Signs of torture and decomposition
Medical sources said many of the returned bodies showed evidence of mistreatment — including being blindfolded, handcuffed, and severely decomposed. Some were burned or missing limbs and teeth.
Such findings have fueled accusations of abuse inside Israeli detention centers, where thousands of Palestinians are held, many without formal charges under administrative detention. Reports of torture have risen sharply since the start of Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
The return of Palestinian bodies is part of a prisoner-captive exchange deal brokered in early October. Under the agreement, Hamas released 20 captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, while Israel began partial troop withdrawals from urban centers.
However, the ceasefire declared on October 10 remains fragile. Despite the U.S.-brokered accord, Israeli attacks have killed dozens since then. The Gaza Health Ministry said 104 Palestinians, including 46 children and 20 women, were killed between Tuesday and Wednesday alone.
Red Cross and Hamas continue recovery efforts
The Red Cross confirmed it transferred the remains of three unidentified individuals to Israel on Friday, possibly deceased captives. Israeli military officials said the remains were sent for forensic testing.
Meanwhile, Hamas handed over two Israeli bodies earlier this week and has so far returned 17 captives’ remains. The group continues to press for resources to recover additional bodies buried under Gaza’s vast rubble.
Representatives from Hamas’s Qassam Brigades and the Red Cross were seen in Khan Younis assisting recovery operations on Friday.
While limited aid trucks entered Gaza on Friday, humanitarian organizations say supplies remain restricted. Al Jazeera’s correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum reported that Palestinians are “really struggling” to access UN warehouses for food and essential items.
Israel continues to block several border crossings despite the declared ceasefire, worsening conditions in the north where famine was declared earlier this year.
