Скачать или смотреть Prayers for the dead as bodies of 54 Palestinians buried in Gaza after return by Israel

(22 Oct 2025)
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – 22 October 2025
1. Various of civil defense and medical workers praying for bodies of unidentified people
2. Various of civil defense carrying bodies and placing in ambulances
3. Various of ambulances carrying bodies leaving Nasser hospital, UPSOUND sirens
4. Various of ambulances carrying bodies heading to cemetery in Deir al-Balah, UPSOUND sirens

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Deir Al-Balah, Gaza Strip – 22 October 2025
5. Various of civil defense carrying bodies and placing in graves
6. Various of bodies in graves
7. Close of bulldozer covering bodies in graves with sand
STORYLINE:
Dozens of people gathered outside the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Wednesday for funeral prayers over the bodies of 54 Palestinians clad in white shrouds.

The unidentified bodies were among 165 that Israel sent back to Gaza last week. They were later transported to Gaza’s central city of Deir al-Balah for burial.

A senior health official in Gaza said some bodies bore “evidence of torture” and called for an investigation.

The Israeli military says it acts in accordance with local and international law and “completely rejects allegations regarding the systematic abuse of detainees.”

Israel has not provided identification for the bodies or explained their origins. They could include Palestinians who died during the Oct. 7 attacks, detainees who died in custody or bodies that were taken from Gaza by Israeli troops during the war.

So far, authorities in Gaza have identified 52 of the returned bodies, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Doctors and family members of missing people in the Palestinian territory said they are struggling to identify them.

Health authorities in the blockaded territory do not have access to DNA testing or other sophisticated technology that Israel has used to identify the remains of hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.

As part of the ceasefire that paused the fighting between Israel and Hamas, both sides are expected to release bodies of hostages as well as Palestinians held in Israel.



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