TRAGIC! Of 345 Palestinian Martyrs’ Bodies Returned, Only 99 Could Be Identified
Gaza Health Ministry: 15 Additional Bodies Returned as Forensic Evidence Confirms Torture; New Study Warns Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 100,000
Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Wednesday that it received 15 additional bodies of martyrs released by the Israeli occupation through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), raising the total number of returned bodies to 345.
So far, 99 of these martyrs have been identified, according to the Ministry. Medical teams continue to follow established forensic and humanitarian protocols to examine, document, and prepare the bodies for release to their families.
The Ministry stressed that all procedures are carried out in accordance with international medical standards — despite the immense strain on Gaza’s shattered health system.
Clear Evidence of Torture and Brutal Handling
The Ministry condemned the occupation’s ongoing refusal to release dozens more bodies, describing it as a blatant violation of the October 11 ceasefire agreement.
Forensic examinations of previously returned bodies have revealed disturbing signs of torture, restraints, and severe abuse. Several of the martyrs were detainees whose bodies were returned as part of the exchange deal, bearing unmistakable marks of mistreatment.
The Ministry called on international human rights organizations to urgently investigate these crimes and hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its systematic violations of international humanitarian law and the dignity of Palestinian martyrs.
Study: Gaza’s Life Expectancy Nearly Halved; Death Toll Exceeds 100,000
A groundbreaking demographic analysis conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) and the Centre for Demographic Studies (CED) warns that Gaza’s life expectancy has collapsed by nearly half under Israel’s ongoing assault.
Researchers estimate that over 78,000 Palestinians were killed between October 7, 2023 and December 31, 2024, and that by October 6, 2025, the death toll had likely exceeded 100,000.
Lead researcher Ana C. Gómez-Ugarte said the team developed a pseudo-Bayesian method to account for severe data limitations due to the destruction of institutions, under-reporting of fatalities, and the absence of age- and gender-specific data.
“Our goal is to estimate life expectancy and the losses in life expectancy in a way that accounts for incomplete or sparse data,” she explained.
The study found that life expectancy in Gaza dropped by 44% in 2023 and 47% in 2024, amounting to a loss of more than 34 years of life in 2023 and over 36 years in 2024.
Researchers noted that the demographic pattern of deaths — cutting across all ages at extreme rates — resembles trends seen in genocides documented by UN-IGME, though legal classification was beyond the study’s scope.
The analysis covers only direct violent deaths and does not include deaths from starvation, disease, untreated injuries, or the collapse of Gaza’s medical system. The true toll is therefore significantly higher.
Gaza’s Health System Near Total Collapse
According to Palestinian ambassador to Vienna Salah Abdel Shafi, Gaza’s medical infrastructure is in a state of “near-total collapse.”
More than 100,000 people have been wounded, and at least 17,000 urgently require evacuation due to the destruction of hospitals and the absence of medical supplies.
“Out of 36 hospitals, only eight are partially functioning,” Shafi told RIA Novosti. The rest have been destroyed or rendered inoperable by the Israeli assault.
Shafi added that roughly 80% of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed, with over one million Palestinians displaced into tents or forced to live in the open. Medical supplies, equipment, and basic medicines are critically scarce.
He warned that without immediate international intervention, the humanitarian catastrophe will deepen even further.
A Continuing Assault on Life, Dignity, and the Dead
As Israeli forces continue withholding martyrs’ bodies, destroying hospitals, and inflicting unprecedented population-wide suffering, Gaza faces a demographic and humanitarian calamity unparalleled in the modern era.
The Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to documenting every violation and every martyr, insisting that the world must no longer ignore the occupation’s systematic crimes — both against the living and the dead. (PW)