Israel holding bodies of 1,700 Palestinians as bargaining chips, says report

Israel holding bodies of 1,700 Palestinians as bargaining chips, says report Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 11:09 Shin Bet chief David Zini reportedly backs move despite no Israeli captives being held by Palestinian groups Body bags containing human remains after civil defence teams exhumed graves at Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, 7 December 2025 (AFP) Off Israel is holding the dead bodies of about 1,700 Palestinians as potential bargaining chips despite there being no Israeli hostages currently held by Palestinian armed groups, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz has reported. According to the report, Shin Bet chief David Zini has urged Israel to retain the remains for possible use in future hostage negotiations, a position supported by the Israeli military. Haaretz reported that most of the remains belong to Palestinian combatants involved in the Hamas-led 7 October attack in 2023 but also include Palestinian civilians and 13 Israeli citizens.