Gaza Civil Defense: We have begun numbering bodies of unidentified martyrs & taking DNA samples
The spokesperson for the Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Basal, said on Monday that Civil Defense crews and the Ministry of Health have begun procedures to document the bodies of unidentified martyrs, where each body will be given a special number and a biological sample will be taken from it and kept at the Ministry of Health.
Basal added in a statement to the “Sanad” News Agency that the numbering of bodies and taking a sample from them is aimed at identifying their owners in the future through DNA tests if the equipment becomes available inside the Strip, or by sending the samples abroad.
He confirmed that these procedures are conducted before transferring the bodies that have not been identified to the cemetery designated for unidentified martyrs in the city of Deir Al-Balah in the central Strip.
He explained that each martyr’s body is documented with a clear number and its biological sample is preserved, ensuring the ability to identify it at any later time when technical capabilities become available.
He clarified that Al-Ahli Arab Hospital holds within its premises 50 bodies of martyrs who were buried around the hospital during the past period, among them 25 unidentified bodies.
Basal pointed out that Civil Defense crews yesterday transferred 25 unidentified bodies to the Al-Shifa medical complex to allow families who have lost their loved ones to identify and bury their bodies.
He indicated the existence of a joint work plan between the Ministry of Health, Civil Defense, and relevant authorities, aiming to transfer martyrs buried in random graves and hospital yards to official cemeteries.
He stated that the file of unidentified martyrs will remain open until all identities are recognized, even after many years.
Basal explained that the percentage of unidentified martyrs cannot be accurately determined due to the spread of random graves and the burial of martyrs in streets and squares during periods of intensive bombardment.
He pointed out that citizens continue to hand over human remains to the Civil Defense daily that they find in roads and in areas that have not yet been fully examined.
He called for opening safe passages to enable families and relevant authorities to transfer and bury martyrs in official cemeteries east of the Strip, and to provide DNA testing devices inside Gaza.
He indicated that hundreds of martyrs may remain for a long period within the lists of unidentified persons, describing this as a stain on the forehead of humanity.