Health officials in Gaza say many of the 90 bodies returned bore marks of violence and possible executions.
Gaza's Health Ministry says it received the remains of 45 Palestinians who were in Israeli custody through the International Committee of the Red Cross, bringing the total number of bodies returned to 90 as part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal.
Medical teams continue to examine, document and prepare bodies for delivery to families “in accordance with approved medical procedures and protocols,” the Health Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
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Under a ceasefire deal backed by US President Donald Trump and aimed at ending the two-year war in Gaza, Israel was to hand over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every dead Israeli who returned. The remains of 45 people were returned on Monday.
Palestinians were awaiting information about the bodies that arrived at Nasser Hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday. The forensic team described concerning conditions, with signs of physical abuse.
Some of the Palestinian bodies were blindfolded and handcuffed, indicating that “field executions” may have taken place, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
Israel is expected to hand over more bodies, although officials have not said how many are in its custody or how many will be returned. It is still unclear whether the bodies were dug up from cemeteries by the Israeli army during its ground offensive or whether they belong to detainees who died during the Israeli attack. Throughout the war, Israel's military has exhumed bodies as part of its search for the remains of captives.
As forensic teams examined the first recovered remains, the Health Ministry on Wednesday released images of 32 unidentified bodies to help families recognize their missing relatives.
Many appeared decomposed or burned. Some were missing limbs or teeth, while others were covered in sand and dust. Health officials have said that Israeli restrictions on allowing DNA testing equipment into Gaza have often forced morgues to rely on physical characteristics and clothing for identification.
The forensic team that received the bodies said some arrived still chained or showing signs of physical abuse.
“There are signs of torture and executions,” said Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission in charge of receiving the bodies at the Nasser hospital.
The bodies belonged to men between 25 and 70 years old. Most had neck bands, including one who had a rope around his neck. Most of the bodies were dressed in civilian clothes, but some were dressed in uniforms, suggesting they were Palestinian fighters.
Hamad said the Red Cross provided the names of only three of the dead, leaving many families unsure about the fate of their relatives.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to the Health Ministry. Palestinian officials say the actual death toll could be much higher, with tens of thousands of bodies believed to be under the rubble.
Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
Rasmiya Qudeih, 52, waited outside Nasser Hospital, hoping her son would be among the 45 bodies flown from Israel on Wednesday.
He disappeared on October 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas-led attack. They told him that he had been killed by an Israeli attack.
“If God wants, he will be with the bodies,” he said.
The Health Ministry released a video showing medical workers examining the bodies, saying the remains would be returned to families or buried if they are not identified.
Human rights groups and a United Nations Commission of Inquiry have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, and South Africa has brought a case alleging that Israel committed genocide to the International Court of Justice. Israel denies the accusations.
