Doctors in southern Gaza are struggling to manage a growing Gaza torture investigation after nearly 200 bodies of Palestinians were returned by Israel under the Trump-brokered ceasefire deal. Working from a single room at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the forensic team faces immense pressure to identify the dead and uncover the truth behind the disturbing injuries many of them show.
Over 11 days, Israel handed over 195 bodies in exchange for 13 Israeli hostages’ remains. Many of the returned bodies arrived bound, blindfolded, or bearing deep bruises and grooves consistent with restraints. Forensic experts described the marks as possible signs of torture or mistreatment before death.
Dr. Ahmed Dheir, head of the hospital’s forensics unit, said the absence of cold storage and DNA facilities severely limits investigations. “Bodies arrive frozen solid. Once they thaw, decomposition begins quickly — we lose critical evidence,” he explained.
Forensic Experts Call for Autopsies
International forensic pathologists say the Gaza torture investigation demands urgent medical autopsies to establish the truth. Professor Michael Pollanen from the University of Toronto called it an “international forensic emergency,” emphasizing that without full post-mortems, the cause and circumstances of death cannot be verified.
Photographs reviewed by the BBC and independent experts show cable-tie marks, deep bruises, and strangulation-like grooves. Some bodies appeared naked or in civilian clothing, complicating efforts to distinguish between combatants, detainees, and civilians.
Despite these findings, Israel’s military insists all bodies returned were combatants and denies any misconduct. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office dismissed the reports as “attempts to demonize Israel.”
Families Seek Closure Amid Chaos
The Gaza torture investigation has left families in anguish as they search for missing relatives among the dead. Out of the 195 returned, only about 50 have been identified using basic details such as height and visible scars. Fifty-four others were buried unidentified due to lack of space and resources.
Families gather daily outside Nasser Hospital, desperate for news. “It’s painful to bury a body when you don’t know if it’s your son,” said Houwaida Hamad, whose nephew is missing. “If there was DNA testing, we’d know for sure.”
While Donald Trump’s ceasefire deal brought a fragile peace, the haunting images from Gaza’s morgues have raised new questions about human rights and accountability. For Gaza’s doctors, the mission continues — not only to identify the dead but also to seek justice for the living.
