RAMALLAH, August 20, 2026 (WAFA) — Israeli authorities today released the body of slain Palestinian child Salim Sami Salim Faqha to his family after holding it since his killing in March.

The General Authority of Civil Affairs said its teams received the body of the child from Sinjil, north of Ramallah, at the Ein Sinya checkpoint and transferred it to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah to complete medical procedures ahead of his burial in his hometown later today.

Faqha was killed on March 17, 2026, when Israeli occupation forces opened fire on him on the outskirts of Sinjil, northeast of Ramallah. Another boy who was accompanying him was injured, while Israeli forces withheld Faqha's body.

The General Authority of Civil Affairs affirmed that efforts to recover all Palestinian bodies held by Israeli authorities are continuing and that it is following up on the matter with the relevant parties.

Israeli authorities continue to withhold the bodies of hundreds of Palestinian martyrs, including children and prisoners who died in Israeli prisons, as well as Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip. The identities and circumstances surrounding the detention of some of the bodies remain unknown.

The withholding of the bodies deprives families of their right to bury their loved ones and bid them farewell in accordance with their customs and traditions.

K.T