Israël utilise les corps des Palestiniens comme monnaie d'échange

Israel is holding the bodies of more than 100 Palestinians who have died in its custody since October 2023 as potential “bargaining chips,” according to a report by the Tel Aviv-based human rights group Gisha. The findings reveal that at least 68 of these individuals were from Gaza, highlighting the disproportionate impact of this practice on communities already under severe siege. Families of the deceased are denied access to their loved ones' remains and are often left without clear information about the circumstances of death. This tactic is described by legal experts and rights organizations as a form of collective punishment and a violation of international humanitarian law. The report, titled Abuse of the Dead, released on 8 July, includes a case where Israeli authorities acknowledged holding onto a detainee's body pending the implementation of a new policy concerning hostages and missing persons. Gisha asserts that the government’s actions “lack legal basis and constitute arbitrary punishment of bereaved families.” While Israel has previously justified the retention of Palestinian bodies as part of hostage negotiations, it is noted that no Israeli captives remain in the Gaza Strip. This raises questions about the continued rationale behind the policy. Currently, Israel is detaining over 9,000 Palestinians on “security” grounds, primarily from the West Bank and Gaza. As of July 2026, approximately eight in ten of these individuals are held without trial and have not been convicted of any crime. The number does not account for those detained by the Israeli military, whose cases remain shrouded in secrecy. Detainees face routine abuses including torture, physical harm, starvation, sexual violence, and denial of medical treatment, according to testimonies from lawyers and recently released prisoners. In May, the United Nations added Israeli security forces to a list of entities responsible for warzone sexual violence, based on a report detailing incidents of such abuse against Palestinians during arrest, interrogation, and detention. This marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of Israel’s practices within occupied territories. The Israeli military has a documented history of withholding Palestinian corpses, and in 2018, the state enacted legislation allowing police to retain the bodies of Palestinian citizens in Israel and occupied Jerusalem. This law has enabled the systematic removal of remains from Palestinian communities, further complicating efforts to properly identify and honor the dead. Hundreds of Palestinian bodies have been buried in so-called “Cemeteries of Numbers”, mass graves located in closed military zones, marked only by numbers instead of names. Some of these sites date back to the 1967 war, underscoring the long-standing nature of this issue. These mass graves serve as grim reminders of the ongoing conflict and the lack of accountability for the deaths of civilians. The absence of proper burial rites and the denial of information to families exacerbate the trauma experienced by bereaved relatives. Legal scholars argue that such practices contravene principles of humane treatment and due process, particularly under international humanitarian law. The situation reflects broader patterns of systemic repression and disregard for human dignity, raising urgent concerns about the rule of law in areas under occupation.