Forensic experts, hostage families warn remains of deceased captives may no longer be identifiable

After a year and a half of war in Gaza, two main factors complicate correctly identifying remains: loss of valuable intelligence and information and the effect of conditions in Gaza on the integrity of the corpses.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The medical division of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum warned on Israel’s Remembrance Day that, as time passes, the remains of deceased hostages may become more difficult and, in some cases, impossible, to identify.

After a year and a half of war in Gaza, two main factors complicate correctly identifying remains: loss of valuable intelligence and information and the effect of conditions in Gaza on the integrity of the corpses.

Intelligence gaps could be created when the few people who know the whereabouts and identity of the remains of hostages are killed or relocated with no trace of the information left behind.

The other factor creating problems for forensics teams is the extreme conditions in Gaza, including extreme heat, flooding and building collapses.

In addition, with the ongoing conflict, it is uncertain whether the corpses can be kept in conditions that are optimal for preservation.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum emphasized that on Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism, a day dedicated to honoring and remembering the nation’s fallen, the urgency of recovering the bodies of deceased hostages for a respectful and proper burial becomes especially clear.

According to current intelligence, there are 59 hostages still in Gaza, with 35 believed to be deceased.

Professor Hagai Levine, the author of the report, emphasized that the issue was not only a pressing humanitarian and moral concern but may also pose a danger to the mental health of the families who will be deprived of information about how their loved ones died. In some cases, the families may remain uncertain whether their relatives are alive or not, denying them the necessary closure.

“There is a serious risk to the remains of the deceased hostages, one that could jeopardize the possibility of bringing them back for a proper burial,” Levine said.

“Ensuring their dignified return, along with the safe return and rehabilitation of the living, is essential for healing the deeply personal, social, and national wounds,” he continued. “This is a moral duty and a national responsibility of the State of Israel to its citizens—an integral part of the unwritten covenant that forms the foundation of Israeli society.”

“Without the return of the deceased and in the absence of clear answers, the families are trapped in a state of limbo, living in grief that feels like death, while the fallen remain suspended in an unresolved existence. This open wound erodes the trust that holds the social fabric together,” he concluded.

deceased hostageshostage remainsJewish burial