PA slams Israel's decision to withhold bodies of slain Palestinians

Israel’s newly-appointed minister of military affairs, Naftali Bennett, has ordered all Israeli forces to stop the release of the bodies of Palestinians killed over alleged operations against Israelis.

News ID: 447811

Date: 30 November 2019 - 09:04

RNA - The new policy will see the bodies of slain Palestinians withheld and not returned to their families for burial.

The Palestinian Authority has slammed the decision as immoral, calling Israel a “terrorist entity” which aims to add to the suffering of Palestinians.

Bennet’s office issued a statement saying the bodies of all slain Palestinians will be withheld, regardless of the organization the victim was affiliated with, or the type of attack they carried out or tried to launch.

Israel claims the measure is meant to deter other Palestinians from carrying out attacks against Israelis.

Human rights organizations have slammed the Israeli policy of withholding the Palestinian bodies.

Israel holds the bodies of more than 50 Palestinians in mortuaries, the oldest is for Abdul Hameed Abdul Hameed Abu Srour, who was killed in 2015. Also, over 250 Palestinians were buried by Israel in secret graveyards marked by numbers.

As a punitive measure, Tel Aviv refuses to hand over to their families the bodies of Palestinians killed for alleged attacks on Israelis. Now, Israel’s insistence on keeping the bodies will prevent bereaved families from holding proper funeral services for their loved ones.

Mona Kandil/Press TV

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