Palestinian Families Demand Release of Corpses Held by Israel, Protest March Crushed

Rasa - Families of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and their bodies are still held in Israel participated in a protest march in Bethlehem, demanding release of the bodies of their sons to be buried in their hometowns.

News ID: 428365

Date: 23 March 2017 - 23:54

RNA - When the march reached an Israeli army checkpoint on Bethlehem’s Northern border with Jerusalem, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and stun grenades at the protesters to disperse them causing several suffocation cases, WAFA reported.

The families urged the United Nations and human rights organization to press Israel to release the bodies and to put an end to Israel’s disregard to international humanitarian law.

Israel is still holding corpses of seven Palestinians recently killed during alleged attacks against Israeli soldiers. It had previously released dozens of other corpses it had held for months after their families had petitioned the Israeli High Court for their release.

In addition, Israel is holding corpses of 252 Palestinians killed since 1967. These corpses are held in cemeteries inside Israel knowns as “numbers” cemeteries since the corpses are marked by numbers and not by names.

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