DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Families in Gaza are enduring a painful search for missing relatives as Israel returns nearly 200 Palestinian bodies under a ceasefire arrangement that also includes the exchange of hostages.
Among them is Wahiba Shabat, who recognized her 34-year-old son, Mahmoud, only after tracing a scar on his skull. His decomposed body was returned without clothing, his hands tied behind his back. Shabat said her son’s jaw was broken and his ankles bore marks of restraint. “It is Mahmoud. It is my son,” she cried as she confirmed his identity.
The body of Mahmoud Shabat was one of 195 returned by Israel over the past 10 days. The handover is part of an ongoing exchange in which Hamas has also released the remains of 15 of 28 hostages. Israel said the Palestinians handed over were combatants, but relatives of several of the dead disputed that claim.
Because DNA testing materials are not allowed into Gaza, families must identify loved ones through photos and visible marks. Many of the remains are damaged or decomposed, and some appear to show signs of being bound. Israel said its military “operates in accordance with international law.”
Stephen Cordner, a forensic medicine expert from Monash University in Australia, reviewed some of the images and described the situation as “an international forensic emergency.” He said the apparent binding of bodies “would be unusual” and should be investigated.
Health officials in Gaza said the returned bodies included those killed during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Thousands of Palestinians crossed the border that day, some joining the attacks, others looting homes, or simply drawn by curiosity after years of blockade.
Thousands remain missing, with families still uncertain whether their loved ones are among the dead. The Gaza Health Ministry said Israel is also believed to be holding the bodies of Palestinians who died in custody, including doctors detained from Gaza.
At Nasser Hospital, one of the few facilities with working morgues, families crowd around printed photographs and video screens, searching for faces they might recognize. Many images show bodies covered in mud or ice, with disfigured or missing features.
“For mothers and fathers to remember what their child was wearing two years ago is almost impossible,” said Ahmed Massoud of the Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared.
For Wahiba Shabat, the search at least brought closure. Three days after confirming Mahmoud’s identity, her family buried him.
“Thank God, I’ve now buried my son,” she said softly. “May every mother in Gaza find the same peace.”
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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