Press Release

Israeli Authorities decide to release the corpse of a citizen of Gaza

Ref: 79/2000

Date: June 15,2000

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights has received a reply from the legal advisor of the Israeli Army which notifies that the Israeli Authorities has finally agreed to transfer the body of Na’el Yassin Abu Awwad to his family in the Gaza Strip, in response to his family’s demand.

Israel has been keeping Abu Awwad’s body since he was killed on March 2, 2000 in a fire-shooting exchange with Israeli forces in the town of Taybeh inside Israel. His family authorized PCHR to work on the retrieval of the Shahid’s body. PCHR has commissioned the office of Lawyer Andre Rosenthal who informed PCHR with the above-mentioned decision of the Israeli Authorities.

PCHR has immediately started contacts with officials of the Palestinian Ministry of Health to coordinate with the Israeli Side in order to retrieve the body of Abu Awwad without delay.

It is worth mentioning here that Israel is still keeping 28 bodies of Palestinian martyrs, in a blatant violation of international conventions, and without any consideration of human and religious values. PCHR considers this issue with maximum interest to ensure the retrieval of all martyrs’ bodies for their families.

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