Families gather to identify bodies of Palestinians returned after months in Israeli detention https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/b5628ddc-ee82-43a4-8164-b0ce341c7743 WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT Families gathered at the forensic department in Khan Younis, Gaza to identify the bodies of Palestinians returned by Israeli authorities after months of detention. Forensic specialists told Middle East Eye many of the bodies were severely decomposed, making identification by sight nearly impossible. Staff relied on permanent features on the body, and on belongings such as clothing, shoes, socks, rings, jewellery, gold teeth, mobile phones, or money, as no laboratory equipment was available for DNA testing. Sameh Yassin Hamad, head of the forensic evidence department, said that Israel deliberately withholds information about the identities of the deceased, despite having full knowledge of their names. “This policy leaves families trapped in endless uncertainty and heartbreak,” he added. Photographs of the bodies were displayed on screens inside the facility as relatives watched quietly, searching for traces of the people they had last seen alive. Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at MEELive@middleeasteye.org Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:27:59 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube Families gather to identify bodies of Palestinians returned after months in Israeli detention https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/b5628ddc-ee82-43a4-8164-b0ce341c7743 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.