Palestinian Teams Recover 61 Bodies from Shifa Hospital Yard in Gaza

Palestinian Civil Defense teams have recovered the bodies of 61 Palestinians buried in the yard of Gaza’s Shifa Hospital during Israel’s prolonged military offensive, according to Anadolu Agency.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the exhumation process began on March 13, 2025, with efforts to retrieve and properly bury the remains. On the first day, workers recovered 48 bodies, including 10 that remain unidentified. Another 13 bodies were found on the second day, three of which have yet to be identified. While known remains were returned to their families, unidentified bodies were sent to forensic authorities.

Officials estimate that around 160 bodies were buried in the hospital’s yard throughout the war, and several more days will be required to complete the recovery process.

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Palestinian Teams Recover 61 Bodies from Shifa Hospital Yard in Gaza

Once Gaza’s largest medical facility, Shifa Hospital served approximately 460,000 people annually, offering emergency care, surgeries, dialysis, and maternal health services before being rendered inoperable by Israeli military assaults.

Israeli forces repeatedly raided and destroyed the hospital during the conflict. The first large-scale attack occurred on November 16, 2023, lasting 10 days. A second incursion between March 18 and April 1, 2024, saw Israeli troops demolishing sections of the hospital, setting buildings ablaze, and reportedly carrying out killings within the complex and its surroundings.

Munir Al-Barsh, Director-General of Gaza’s Health Ministry, stated in January 2025 that over 95% of the hospital’s infrastructure and equipment had been destroyed.

A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place since January 19, bringing a halt to the Israeli offensive that claimed more than 48,500 Palestinian lives—primarily civilian women and children—and left Gaza in devastation.

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