How the dead serve as bargaining chips in the Israel-Hamas conflict

Issam Aruri, a Palestinian who runs the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center, works on cases where Israel is holding the bodies of Palestinians who died while attacking Israel. Both Israel and Hamas hold the bodies of the dead from the other side to use as leverage in negotiations. (Ayman Oghanna for NPR)

TEL AVIV, Israel — Hamas is holding Israeli hostages. Israel is holding Hamas militants. On both sides, many of those captives are dead.

In the current Israel-Hamas war and in previous conflicts, both sides have adopted a policy of keeping the dead bodies of their enemies, often for years, so they can be used as bargaining chips.