08.12.2025 19:49
In Gaza, where the heavy toll of Israeli attacks is being felt, 98 individuals who were buried collectively have been exhumed for identification purposes. Civil defense officials stated that the unidentified bodies will be sent to the relevant institutions as per procedure, while the images of the exhumed corpses have broken hearts.
During the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, the bodies of 98 people who were collectively buried in the courtyard of Shifa Hospital were exhumed for identification purposes. Identification efforts are ongoing as mass burials continue in the area due to the attacks.
Civil defense teams announced that the identities of 55 of the 98 bodies exhumed in the latest operation at Shifa Hospital have still not been identified. It was stated that the unidentified remains would be handed over to the relevant authorities, while the teams expressed that there are still many bodies inside the hospital and that these efforts will continue in the coming days.
MORE THAN 400 BODIES BURIED IN HOSPITAL COURTYARD
Civil Defense Spokesperson Mahmoud Basal reported that more than 400 people were buried in the courtyard of Shifa Hospital under extremely difficult conditions during the peak of the attacks. Basal emphasized that the ongoing efforts are vital not only for the dignified transfer of the bodies to appropriate cemeteries but also for the restoration of the health system.
Basal stated that special vehicles, protective equipment, and heavy machinery are needed to exhume the bodies, but they have been unable to access these due to the Israeli blockade. He noted that despite all obstacles, the work would continue "at a minimum level."
THE CONDITION OF THEIR RELATIVES IS HEART-WRENCHING
Bashar Adwan, a Gazan whose brother's body was exhumed from the mass grave, shared his experience with the following words:
"When Civil Defense said the body would be transferred to the official cemetery, I came to collect my sister. My sister passed away in the hospital 50 days after being injured. However, at that time, the hospital was under siege by the Israeli army. That’s why I had to bury her not in the cemetery, but in the hospital courtyard."
GENOCIDE CONTINUING SINCE OCTOBER 7, 2023
It is reported that thousands of Palestinians who lost their lives due to Israeli attacks in Gaza have been buried in mass graves. Since October 7, 2023, 70,365 people have lost their lives in the attacks carried out by Israel in the region, while 171,058 people have been injured.