- Title: Mass burial held in Gaza for unidentified Palestinians released by Israel
- Date: 13th February 2026
- Summary: DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA (FEBRUARY 13, 2026) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE RETRIEVING FROM A TRUCK SHROUDED BODIES AND REMAINS OF UNIDENTIFIED PALESTINIANS WHOSE BODIES WERE HELD IN ISRAEL DURING THE WAR PEOPLE CARRYING BODIES SHROUDED BODIES ON THE GROUND VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PLACING SHROUDED BODIES IN GRAVES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DIRECTOR OF THE CEMETERIES DEPARTMENT IN GAZA, ZIAD
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: BURLIAL FUNERAL GAZA ISRAEL PALESTINIANS
- Location: DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA
- City: DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Occupied Territory
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001522913022026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A mass burial was held in Deir Al-Balah on Friday (February 13) for unidentified Palestinians whose bodies had been held in Israel during the war, and released through the Red Cross, according to director of the cemeteries department in Gaza.
Shrouded bodies were placed in unmarked graves, before bulldozers covered them with dirt.
“Today, we are burying what was delivered in the latest batch through the Red Cross… (A total of) 53 bodies and approximately 86 bags of human remains were handed over to the Red Cross,” said director of the cemeteries department in Gaza, Ziad Obeid.
Earlier this month, the Gaza-based Ministry of Health had stated that 54 bodies and 66 boxed of human remains were released by the Israeli authorities and transferred to Al Shifa Hospital via the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as reported by the UN.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Gaza war started with the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's air and ground war in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 people since then, according to Palestinian health ministry data.
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