Israel 'Returns' Bodies to Gaza After Hostage ID: An Altruistic Act?
Deutsche Welle reports Israel returned bodies to Gaza after identifying a slain hostage, implying a humanitarian gesture. What gets left out? Israel routinely confiscates Palestinian bodies, holding them as bargaining chips or for 'security reasons.' This isn't a new policy; it dates back to the 1970s, with hundreds of bodies (including children) held in what Palestinians call 'cemeteries of
numbers' or morgue freezers. This 'return' is less an act of compassion and more a calculated extraction of political capital, turning human remains into diplomatic currency. The framing sanitizes a coercive practice, suggesting a singular act rather than part of a systemic policy of control over life and death—and everything in between.