Tel aviv: Israel is reportedly holding the bodies of approximately 1,700 Palestinians for potential future exchanges, despite the current absence of Israeli captives held by Hamas. This information was disclosed by the Haaretz daily.

According to Anadolu Agency, recent discussions within Israel's security establishment revealed this figure, with the newspaper citing two unnamed sources familiar with the situation. The report indicates that David Zini, the chief of Shin Bet, supports the decision to retain the bodies, considering it a strategic measure should Israelis be taken captive or go missing in the future. The Israeli army reportedly shares this stance.

Haaretz has reported that the majority of these bodies belong to Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, involved in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel or subsequent engagements. However, the report also mentions that some of the bodies belong to individuals who were not involved in the fighting.

Legal experts, as cited by Haaretz, have raised concerns about Israel's authority to hold these bodies, particularly those with no proven involvement in hostilities. They argue that the state lacks the power to retain the remains without a formal policy established by the Security Cabinet.

In October 2025, the Palestinian National Campaign for the Retrieval of Martyrs' Bodies and Disclosure of the Fate of the Missing reported that Israel was holding around 1,500 bodies of Palestinians from Gaza at the Sde Teiman military facility in southern Israel.

Meanwhile, despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that commenced on October 10, 2025, Israeli military actions continue in the Gaza Strip. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, these actions have resulted in at least 1,258 Palestinian deaths and 4,139 injuries.

The conflict, which began in October 2023, has reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 73,000 Palestinians and injuries to more than 174,000 people. It has also caused extensive destruction, affecting 90% of Gaza's infrastructure.