On Monday, Gazas Civil Defence agency received 80 unidentified Palestinian bodies from Israeli authorities, which were subsequently buried in a mass grave. The bodies arrived in 15 bags, each containing more than four corpses wrapped in a single shroud. Yamen Abu Suleiman, director of Gazas Civil Defence, reported that the Israeli authorities provided no information about the deceased, including their names or origins.Inspection and BurialAFP journalists observed that the bodies were inspected by men in hazmat suits before being removed from a shipping container. They were then laid out in preparation for burial in a mass grave at the Turkish cemetery near Khan Yunis, Gazas major city in the south. The burial was witnessed by numerous Palestinians, highlighting the communal anguish over the unidentified bodies.Family Searches and Official ReactionsOne individual, Tabesh Abu Ata from the Turkish cemetery, explained the necessity of a mass grave due to a lack of resources for individual burials. Salwa Karaz, a displaced resident from Gaza City, was among those searching for missing relatives. She hoped to find her son, Marwan, who disappeared in January. Karaz provided specific details about his clothing in hopes of identification. Hamas condemned Israels action, stating that delivering bodies without identification exacerbates the suffering of families. The Israeli military had not commented on the situation at the time of reporting.Background of the ConflictThe ongoing war in Gaza began on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, leading to significant casualties. According to official figures, 1,197 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the initial attack. Hamas also took 251 hostages, with 111 still believed to be held in Gaza. Israels subsequent air and ground operations have resulted in a reported 39,623 deaths, as per Gazas health ministry, which has not differentiated between civilian and militant casualties.
