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©(Photo by Mohammed ABED / AFP)
In southern Gaza, Palestinians interred dozens of bodies in a mass grave on Tuesday after officials announced that Israel had returned remains it had previously exhumed from the territory.
Gazans moved the bodies in blue plastic shrouds from a truck towards the newly dug mass grave east of Rafah, as witnessed by an AFP photographer.
Health ministry employees wearing white protective clothing lowered them into the ground, near the tents of people displaced by the Israel-Hamas war.
A Palestinian source at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt told AFP that the bodies returned had been "stolen by the occupation (Israeli) army during its incursion" into Gaza.
A second source at Gaza's ministry of religious affairs told AFP that Israel "stole them from Bani Suheila cemetery, east of Khan Younes," around two weeks ago.
The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment, although it has previously made remarks about exhuming bodies from Gaza graves in search of Israeli hostages.
"The hostage identification process, conducted at a secure and alternative location, ensures optimal professional conditions and respect for the deceased," the military said Monday.
Separately, a military spokesman on Tuesday denied "unfounded claims" of Israel removing organs from the bodies, which were made by the government media office in Gaza.
In November and December, AFP journalists also witnessed the reburial of bodies that Gaza officials said had been exhumed by Israeli forces.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
Gazans moved the bodies in blue plastic shrouds from a truck towards the newly dug mass grave east of Rafah, as witnessed by an AFP photographer.
Health ministry employees wearing white protective clothing lowered them into the ground, near the tents of people displaced by the Israel-Hamas war.
A Palestinian source at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt told AFP that the bodies returned had been "stolen by the occupation (Israeli) army during its incursion" into Gaza.
A second source at Gaza's ministry of religious affairs told AFP that Israel "stole them from Bani Suheila cemetery, east of Khan Younes," around two weeks ago.
The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment, although it has previously made remarks about exhuming bodies from Gaza graves in search of Israeli hostages.
"The hostage identification process, conducted at a secure and alternative location, ensures optimal professional conditions and respect for the deceased," the military said Monday.
Separately, a military spokesman on Tuesday denied "unfounded claims" of Israel removing organs from the bodies, which were made by the government media office in Gaza.
In November and December, AFP journalists also witnessed the reburial of bodies that Gaza officials said had been exhumed by Israeli forces.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
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