Israel has acknowledged that it is retaining the bodies of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip for use in future negotiations concerning Israeli captives and missing persons, according to a response submitted to the Israeli High Court and reported by Haaretz.

The admission came in response to a petition filed by the Israeli human rights organization Gisha, which is seeking the release of the body of a Palestinian photographer and father of four. According to the petition, he was detained by Israeli forces in December 2023 and died one day later while being held at a temporary detention facility near the Erez crossing.

In its response, Israeli authorities confirmed that the decision to continue holding his body was based on a broader policy of retaining the remains of Palestinians from Gaza for potential use in future negotiations related to Israeli captives and missing persons.

The case has renewed criticism from human rights organizations, which argue that withholding bodies from families violates humanitarian principles and prolongs the suffering of relatives awaiting burial.