UN Condemns Parading of Hostage Bodies by Hamas

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned the public display of the bodies of hostages by Hamas, calling it "abhorrent and cruel" on Thursday. The bodies, which were paraded before being handed over to Israel, violated international law and disregarded the dignity of the deceased, the UN rights chief said.

“The parading of bodies in the manner seen this morning is abhorrent and cruel, and flies in the face of international law,” said the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “We urge that all returns are conducted in privacy, and with respect and care,” Turk emphasized. According to international law, any handover of deceased remains must respect the dignity of both the deceased and their families, and must not involve cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Hamas returned the bodies of four hostages on Thursday, including Shiri Bibas and her two children, Kfir and Ariel, as well as Oded Lifshitz, an 83-year-old man kidnapped during the October 7 attack. The IDF confirmed the return of Lifshitz’s body but is still testing the others before providing confirmation to the Bibas family.

Before being handed to the Red Cross, the coffins were placed on a stage with armed Hamas gunmen in black and camouflage uniforms surrounding the area. Propaganda plaques were displayed on the coffins, listing the "arrest" dates and blaming Israel for the deaths.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) participated in the handover, emphasizing that such operations should be conducted privately to show respect for the deceased and their families. The ICRC acknowledged its vital humanitarian duty but expressed concern that the return should have been handled with more dignity and privacy.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also condemned the spectacle, referring to the images of the coffins as "unbearable" and expressing sympathy for the grieving families. “Until the very end, the families of the hostages are exposed to Hamas’s limitless terror,” Baerbock wrote.

Thursday marked the first time Hamas returned the bodies of hostages to Israel since the start of the war. The terror group’s brutal attack on October 7, 2023, resulted in 251 hostages being taken, with many freed in a series of ceasefire agreements. Since the beginning of the latest ceasefire last month, Hamas has handed over 24 hostages in highly publicized ceremonies involving terrorist propaganda, sparking anger and criticism from Israel and the international community.

As of Thursday, 66 hostages from the October 7 attack remain in Gaza, including at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF.