Israeli occupation authorities on Saturday handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, many of whom showed clear signs of torture, burning, and execution-style killings, according to medical sources at hospitals in southern Gaza.

The bodies were delivered through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and transferred to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, where doctors and forensic teams have been working tirelessly to identify the victims.

This latest transfer brings the total number of bodies returned by Israel to 300, in what Palestinian health officials describe as an appalling testament to the brutality of Israeli detention and military practices during the ongoing war on Gaza.

So far, 89 of the 300 bodies have been identified, while the rest remain unrecognizable due to the severity of the mutilation.

Doctors at Nasser Hospital told reporters that many of the returned bodies bore unmistakable signs of torture, burning, and close-range execution.

“Some had their hands tied behind their backs, others were blindfolded. Several were burned or disfigured to the point that their families could not recognize them,” said one medical staff member.

Local forensic teams are working under extreme conditions, attempting to document evidence of war crimes despite limited access to proper equipment and international monitoring.

The Saturday handover marked the 11th batch of bodies released by the Israeli authorities since the start of the ongoing conflict.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly urged independent international investigations into the deaths of Palestinians detained or killed by Israeli forces, amid growing reports of summary executions, enforced disappearances, and abuse of detainees in Israeli custody.

Gazan officials say many of those whose bodies were recently returned were detained during Israeli ground operations in southern Gaza or taken from hospitals and shelters in Khan Younis and Rafah before communication was lost with them weeks ago.

Palestinian organizations, including the Government Media Office in Gaza and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, condemned the Israeli actions as “clear war crimes” and demanded urgent international intervention.

“The mutilated bodies of our people are evidence of Israel’s systematic policy of revenge and humiliation,” the media office said in a statement. “This is not warfare — this is extermination and desecration of human dignity.”

Families of the victims gathered outside Nasser Medical Complex, waiting anxiously for identification efforts to conclude. Many wept as the bodies arrived, wrapped in white shrouds and Palestinian flags.

Human rights advocates have criticized the international community’s silence, saying that the continued lack of accountability enables Israel to commit atrocities with impunity.

“This pattern of torture and execution should trigger immediate investigation by the United Nations and the International Criminal Court,” said one Gaza-based rights lawyer. “Every body returned is a testimony to a crime that demands justice.”

As Gaza’s health system struggles to function under siege, the morgues continue to overflow — a grim reminder of the human cost of Israel’s war and occupation. (ILKHA)