Forensic examinations have uncovered signs of severe mistreatment, including burns, crushing injuries likely caused by Israeli armoured vehicles, and torture marks such as handcuffing and blindfolding.
Despite the bodies being preserved in refrigerators, "Only four bodies have been identified so far," said Dr Mohammed Zaquot, Director General of Gaza's Hospitals. "The extent of the mutilation and torture makes identification extremely difficult."
"What we received are bodies with codes and numbers. However, we were promised that... we would be provided with the names. We are awaiting further clarification from our colleagues at the International Committee of the Red Cros," he said.
Gaza's healthcare system, decimated by Israel's 2-year carpet bombing and blockade, has made DNA testing impossible.
Families searching for their loved ones are forced to rely on photographs, hoping to recognise birthmarks, scars, pieces of clothing, or dental details.
Many of them, whether their relatives were killed in Gaza and their bodies held by Israel, or abducted and later killed under torture, have no choice but to sit before a screen, searching desperately for any sign of those they've lost.
"We do not know whether he is alive or martyred," said Mirvat Al-Bourdeeni, a Palestinian mother desperately searching for her son. "God willing, if he is alive, give us hope. If he is a martyr, may God have mercy on him," she said, tears streaming down her face.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office has also raised alarms about possible Israeli organ theft, calling it "a systematic criminal practice."
Dr Munir Al-Bursh, Gaza's Health Ministry Director, called the bodies "witnesses to the executioners' brutality," adding that many victims appear to have been executed after being bound. He called for an immediate international investigation into what he described as a "full-fledged war crime."
As part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Israel is obligated to return 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli casualty. So far, 120 Palestinian bodies have been returned, but for many families, the uncertainty and pain remain unresolved.
Israel has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. It has also taken thousands captive, refusing to disclose their number or identities. Under the new ceasefire deal, 1,718 have so far been freed and returned to Gaza..
Meanwhile, over 11,100 Palestinians continue to be held in Israeli prisons, where reports of torture, medical neglect, and inhumane conditions persist, leading to further deaths.
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