Gaza: A top health official in Gaza said Thursday that signs of torture and burns were found on the bodies of Palestinian detainees returned by Israel under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

According to Anadolu Agency, Munir al-Bursh, Director General of Gaza's Health Ministry, stated on the social media platform X that the bodies were returned in a state that suggested severe mistreatment. He described the bodies as being bound and blindfolded, with clear evidence of torture and burns, labeling these acts as crimes that should not remain hidden.

Al-Bursh further revealed that the bodies had been held in Israeli morgues for months, with many detainees executed while restrained. He emphasized the brutal nature of these deaths, calling for an international investigation to bring those responsible to justice and declaring the acts as full-fledged war crimes. Additionally, the Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office raised concerns about possible organ theft from some of the bodies.

The office reported that medical and forensic evidence pointed to severe mistreatment, including handcuffing, blindfolding, and crushing by armored vehicles. It highlighted that some victims were executed post-arrest, contravening international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. The office urged for an independent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.

The Health Ministry confirmed receiving 30 bodies from Israel via the International Committee of the Red Cross, with signs of abuse evident on some remains. Since Tuesday, Israel has released at least 120 Palestinian bodies as part of the ceasefire agreement that began on Friday between Israel and Hamas. This agreement also involved the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

The Palestinian National Campaign for the Retrieval of Martyrs' Bodies reported that Israel currently holds the bodies of 735 Palestinian prisoners, including 67 children. The Israeli daily Haaretz noted that nearly 1,500 Palestinian bodies from Gaza are kept at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have resulted in nearly 68,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, predominantly affecting women and children, and have left the region largely uninhabitable.