AhlulBayt News Agency: The Palestinian Civil Defense has accused the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) of obstructing efforts to retrieve the bodies of Palestinians killed in an earlier massacre in the northwest of Gaza Strip, as victims’ families remain unable to bury their loved ones with dignity.
In a press statement on Sunday, the Civil Defense said it is still awaiting a response from IOF regarding its second formal request—submitted through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)—to allow its teams to access the Al-Sudaniya area and retrieve the remaining bodies of martyrs.
The area was the site of a massacre committed by the IOF against dozens of young men who had gathered in desperation to receive humanitarian aid. Five days later, Israel permitted rescue teams to recover 15 bodies, but has since refused to grant access to complete the operation.
“Until this moment, the IOF continues to deny us access to retrieve the remaining bodies,” the statement said.
The Civil Defense also reported that the IOF has rejected requests to assist in locating and rescuing two women reported missing in separate incidents: one from the Salem family at the entrance of the Beit Lahia Project, and another from the Al-Attar family last seen at Abu Tamam School in Beit Lahia.
Condemning what it called the IOF “inhumane obstinacy,” the Civil Defense warned that denying access to recover the bodies of martyrs violates fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and human rights.
It called on international humanitarian and rights organizations to intervene immediately and pressure Israel to allow recovery operations so that the martyrs may be buried in accordance with basic human dignity.
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