Bound, blindfolded, burned: The horrors behind Gaza’s returned bodies

Following the start of prisoner exchanges under the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, numerous reports have emerged documenting the torture of Palestinian captives by Israeli forces—often to the point of death. Medical authorities in Gaza have now revealed new and shocking details.

Dr. Munir al-Barsh, Director-General of the Gaza Health Ministry, said late last night that the bodies of Palestinian martyrs received by medical facilities show signs of extreme physical abuse and mutilation.

He reported that on Monday, the bodies of 45 additional martyrs were delivered to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, bringing the total number of bodies handed over to the Health Ministry to 270.

“The bodies we received were completely dismembered under brutal torture. Their faces had been burned to conceal their identities, and their limbs were so badly mutilated that they were unrecognizable,” Dr. al-Barsh said.

He added: “The bodies of these martyrs seem to speak to us. What conscience can accept silence in the face of such atrocities? How can those who claim to defend justice and the rule of law remain quiet? Where are the human rights organizations? Where are the international courts? Where are those who raise the flag of humanity?”

The Government Information Office in Gaza also issued a statement confirming that many of the bodies showed clear signs of strangulation by rope, as well as multiple close-range gunshot wounds, indicating illegal killings and executions.

The statement added that Israeli forces had tied the hands and feet of prisoners with plastic restraints and blindfolded them before killing them.

In blatant violation of international law, the report continued, Israeli forces crushed the bodies of martyrs under tank tracks, with numerous bodies displaying severe burns, fractures, and deep wounds—all evidence of systematic torture.

Earlier, Dr. Sameh Hammad, a forensic medicine expert with Gaza’s Health Ministry and a member of the committee responsible for receiving the bodies at Khan Younis Hospital, confirmed that all the corpses of Palestinian detainees bore signs of brutal torture and that medical examinations indicate field executions.

“Our examinations revealed that many bones were completely shattered. Deep wounds were found on the head, neck, and abdomen. The skin of the face and body was torn and severely burned,” Dr. Hammad said.

Official data from the Gaza Health Ministry and the Government Information Office shows that nearly 10,000 people remain missing since the start of the war, and the fate of many others is still unknown. It also remains unclear how many bodies Israel is withholding.

Medical sources in Gaza reported that the occupying forces deliver the bodies in plastic bags, which leave imprints on the skin and obscure identifying features, making it difficult to determine precisely how the victims were tortured. However, the most common signs found on the bodies include:

• Blindfolded eyes
• Hands tied behind the back and feet bound with plastic restraints
• Stab wounds or sharp cuts to the face, chest, and neck
• Severe redness and burn-like injuries
• Deep abdominal lacerations suggesting organ theft
• Rope marks around the neck indicating death by strangulation

Dr. al-Barsh concluded:

“These mutilated bodies are testimony to the hypocrisy of a world that claims civilization and humanity while standing alongside the perpetrators of these crimes.”