Israel is reportedly holding around 1,700 Palestinian bodies for possible use as leverage in future negotiations, despite there currently being no living or deceased Israeli captives held in Gaza, according to a report by Haaretz.
The figure emerged from recent discussions within Israel's security establishment, with Haaretz citing two sources familiar with the matter. According to the newspaper, the remains are being retained in case Israelis are taken hostage or go missing in the future. If accurate, the reported position would mean retaining Palestinian remains as potential leverage for negotiations that do not currently exist.
