Allegations have surfaced that Israel is withholding the bodies of approximately 1,700 Palestinians in anticipation of future prisoner exchanges. The Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reported this on Tuesday, citing two unnamed sources.
According to the report, the matter has recently been discussed within Israel’s security establishment. David Barnea, the head of Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet, has reportedly advocated for retaining Palestinian bodies to serve as leverage for potential prisoner swaps should any Israeli citizens be detained or go missing in the future. The Israeli military is also said to support this stance.
Previously, in October 2025, a Palestinian rights organization stated that Israel was holding the bodies of approximately 1,500 Palestinians killed in Gaza at the Sde Teiman military facility.
According to data from the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 1,258 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, 2025. Meanwhile, the total death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks since October 2023 has surpassed 73,000.
The withholding of Palestinian bodies has long been a source of deep humanitarian and psychological distress for the families of the deceased. Various Palestinian rights organizations have been demanding the return of their relatives’ bodies and the opportunity to bury them in accordance with proper religious and family customs.
