JERSALEM, February 6, 2016 (WAFA) – The Israeli authorities continue to withhold the bodies of 10 Palestinians from Jerusalem who were shot dead after attempted, alleged and confirmed attacks against Israeli targets, since the outbreak of violence in early October 2015.

The 10 killed Palestinians were identified as Tha’er Abu Ghazaleh, Hassan Manasra, Baha’a E’llyan, Ala’a Abu Jamal, Ahmad Abu Sha’aban, Mo’ataz Owaisat, Mohammed Nemr, Omar Skafi, Abdul-Mohsen Hasoneh, and Mos’ab al-Ghazali. The bodies of the said Palestinians have been withhold by Israel for 120 days, 118 days, 117 days, 117, days, 116 days, 113 days, 89 days, 63 days, 55 days, and 53 days, respectively.

According to the Middle East Eye, the Knesset ‘agreed to the proposal put forth by the Israeli internal security minister Gilad Erdan to not hand over the bodies of Palestinians who were allegedly involved in stabbing attacks, to their families.’

At the outset of the violence in early October 2015, Gilad Erdan, recommended holding on to the bodies of Palestinian assailants, claiming the funerals turn into "an exhibition of support for terror and incitement to murder."

Erdan suggested the attackers be buried without fanfare in distant cemeteries where previous Palestinian killers have been buried.

Israel’s policy of withholding bodies of killed Palestinians was widely condemned by international human rights organizations, including by the Israeli human rights center, B’Tselem, which slammed Israel’s policy of withholding Palestinians’ suspects’ bodies as ‘immoral’.

B’Tselem considered this policy a violation of human dignity; therefore, it is unjustified to hold Palestinians’ dead bodies, adding that the policy is not only morally wrong, but also undervalues Palestinians and their families.

Not only does Israel withhold the bodies of Palestinians’ suspects, but also reportedly freezes their bodies under an extremely low degree.

In the meantime, in a letter sent to the head of the UN council, Riyad Mansour, permanent observer of Palestine to the United Nations explained that Israel steals the organs of Palestinians recently killed, reported the International Middle East Media Center.

“After physical examination of the returning bodies of Palestinians who were killed last October, the physicians found that the corneas of their eyes, as well as other organs, had been stolen", Mansour wrote in the letter.

He added that this proves previous reports about organs theft.

However, Israel‘s envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, refuted the letter as saying that Mansour has anti-Semitic motives.

T.R.