Hamas calls for international pressure on ‘Israel’ to return deaths’ bodies
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- Hamas criticizes international focus on Israeli soldier bodies while Palestinian martyrs’ remains remain withheld.
- Movement calls for immediate international action to recover Palestinian bodies, open Rafah crossing, and allow reconstruction.
The Palestinian movement Hamas criticized what it called a “serious moral imbalance” in international attention, noting that the focus on the remains of dozens of ‘Israeli’ soldiers contrasts sharply with the continued withholding of thousands of Palestinian martyrs’ bodies.
Read more: ‘Israeli’ army claims recovery of last captive remains in Gaza
In a statement, Hamas called for immediate and genuine international pressure on ‘Israel’ to return the bodies of martyrs, reopen the Rafah crossing, and provide heavy equipment to recover remains from rubble and ensure dignified burials.
Bodies Withheld for Decades
The movement said ‘Israeli’ authorities still hold hundreds of Palestinian bodies, including those seized during the so-called war of extermination on Gaza and others kept for decades in numbered graves. Hamas described the withholding as a brutal crime and a flagrant violation of human values, while lamenting the international silence on resolving this humanitarian issue.
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Hamas also renewed its call for the National Committee to be allowed full authority in Gaza, including reopening Rafah in both directions, starting reconstruction, recovering deaths’ bodies, and addressing the issue of forcibly disappeared Palestinians.
Commitments and Ongoing Violations
Hamas confirmed that its information aided mediators in recovering the last ‘Israeli’ captive in Gaza, police officer Ran Gafili, emphasizing that it has fulfilled its obligations and urging Tel Aviv to do the same by facilitating the sector management committee’s work.
The movement noted that the agreement ending ‘Israel’s’ two-year campaign, which began on October 7, 2023, resulted in over 71,000 Palestinian martyrs, more than 171,000 wounded, and destruction of 90 percent of civil infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at $70 billion.
Hamas accused ‘Israel’ of continuing violations, causing hundreds of Palestinian civilian casualties, while reiterating its adherence to the agreement and urging reciprocal compliance from Tel Aviv.
