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Palestinian PM calls on Israel to return bodies of Palestinians killed in recent violence

Xinhua, December 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Palestinian prime minister on Wednesday demanded that Israel unconditionally return the bodies of Palestinians recently killed by Israeli forces, accusing it of violating the international law.

Rami Hamdallah made the request after meeting with families of the Palestinians whose bodies are still held by Israel.

Palestinian human rights organizations say that Israel holds 44 bodies who have been shot dead amid a flaring wave of tension between Palestinians and Israelis since early October.

Late in October, Israel handed six Palestinian bodies killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank.

The Palestinian leadership and government are exerting strenuous efforts at an international level to press for the return of the bodies, Hamdallah stressed.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that 108 Palestinians had been shot dead in clashes with the Israeli army and police in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In return, 20 Israelis were killed in stabbing and running over attacks carried out by Palestinians.

Issam Aruri, director of Jerusalem Legal Aid & Human Rights Center, told Xinhua that Israel intends to exercise more "political and psychological pressure on Palestinians by keeping the bodies."

He added that his organization has been contacting the Israeli authorities for returning the bodies, but has not received any responses yet.

Israel is still holding 286 Palestinian bodies in cemeteries known as "Numbers Graveyards," he noted.

Between 2010 and 2014, Israel handed over 131 bodies in response to diplomatic and political requests from the Palestinians. Endit