In an urgent letter sent today (Wednesday) by Adv. Jonathan Davis, head of the legal team in the Medical and Resilience Division of the Headquarters for the Families of the Abductees, to Brigadier General Gal Hirsch (reserves), Adv. Davis demands that the bodies that have not been identified as required by law and according to the tradition of honoring the deceased not be brought for mass burial.
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These are bodies and remains that were not evacuated to the Institute of Forensic Medicine, and remain in the custody of the Israel Police. Copies of the letter were also sent to Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov, the legal advisors of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Israel Police, and the director of the pathology institute, Dr. Chen Kugel.
Davis said it was unclear why the police were not transferring the bodies and remains to the pathology institute to complete the optimal identification procedures, and if this was done at the request of officials at the Ministry of Religious Affairs. He raises the issue in his letter: "The families of the missing whose bodies have not been identified are very concerned that their loved ones will be buried without identification, violating the dignity of the deceased and contrary to basic principles of human rights."
Gal Hirsch with the abductees released from Hamas captivity, photo: uncredited
For this reason, Brigadier General Gal Hirsch was required to "order without delay to involve the professional bodies, namely, the Institute of Forensic Medicine, in every case of burial without identification, and to ensure that no burial is carried out without a pathological opinion that will come out from under the professional bodies at the Institute of Forensic Medicine. This demand is the realization of the basic right of the families of the fallen to preserve the dignity of the deceased and to know that everything will be done to identify the bodies of their loved ones."
In parallel to the struggle of the family headquarters, a peaceful demonstration was held today in Beersheba for the return of the abductees held captive by Hamas in Gaza. Dozens of people came with signs calling on the government to carry out a prisoner exchange deal and demanding that they not be abandoned.
Peaceful demonstration for the return of the abductees from Hamas captivity, today in Beersheba // Sarit Lazerowitz
The initiative for the peaceful demonstrations took place simultaneously in 16 different locations throughout the country, including Tel Aviv, Kfar Saba, Hod Hasharon, Haifa, Nahalal and Holon.
The peaceful demonstration for the return of the hostages, today in Beersheba, photo: Sarit Lazerowitz
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