A Palestinian advocacy group, the National Campaign to Retrieve Martyrs’ Bodies, reported that Israeli authorities are withholding the bodies of 198 Palestinians killed in 2024. This figure represents about one-third of the 641 bodies documented by the organisation as held in Israel’s morgues and “Cemeteries of Numbers.”
The “Cemeteries of Numbers” are burial sites marked only with numbered plaques instead of names. These numbers correspond to files maintained by Israeli security authorities.
In a 2019 ruling, the Israeli Supreme Court allowed the military to temporarily withhold Palestinian bodies as potential bargaining chips for future negotiations.
The campaign clarified that its data excludes bodies withheld from Gaza due to limited information. However, it documented the return of 325 bodies from Gaza by Israeli authorities.
The report comes amidst Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which intensified after a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Over 45,500 individuals, mostly women and children, have reportedly been killed in Gaza, according to the group, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Separately, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.
