Conflicts & War

Palestinians demand Israel to return bodies of their loved ones

Jerusalem, Aug 27 (EFE).- Relatives of the over 330 Palestinians killed in clashes with the Israeli army and buried in military cemeteries held by Israel, are demanding for the return of the bodies of their loved ones as the territory marks the National Day for the Recovery of Martyrs.

The life of the Erekat family, who live in a suburb of East Jerusalem, was turned upside down in June last year when one of seven siblings was shot by Israeli forces at a military checkpoint.

The family has not been able to recover young Ahmad’s body since Israel requisitioned the corpse, denying him what his loved ones call a dignified burial.

This is the case for hundreds of Palestinian families since 1960, when Isreal confiscated all bodies under a controversial policy that human rights groups say violates international law.

Israel adopted the policy under emergency regulation from the British Mandate for Palestine that was formally validated by the Supreme Court in 2019.

THE ERAKAT FAMILY

Members of the Erakat family are challenging Israel’s policy by appealing to the Israeli justice system to demand their brother’s body be returned, but have not succeeded.

The judge rejected the family’s appeal last week, but Ahmad’s siblings are not giving up.

“What they are doing is against international law,” Faisal Erakat, brother of Ahmad, told Efe.

“What we are seeking is just to give us my brother’s dead body, to bury him,” he added.

Related Articles

Back to top button