A medic stands among bodies of casualties in the 2014 Gaza war stored in a refrigerator in Rafah, southern Gaza. Aug. 2, 2014. (AP/Hatem Ali, File)
On Thursday, the bodies of four hostages, including Shiri Bibas, her two children, and an elderly man, are expected to be returned to Israel.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
A forensic expert stated that identifying the bodies of hostages who have been held in Gaza for an extended period may not always be possible.
On Thursday, the bodies of four hostages, held in captivity for over 500 days, are expected to be returned to Israel.
Dr. Chen Kugel, director of the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir, described the process of examining and identifying the bodies before they are sent for burial.
Dr. Kugel will work alongside pathologists, DNA analysts, anthropologists, radiologists, and forensic technicians.
Kugel explained that identification is carried out using various scientific methods, all of which involve comparing data from the deceased with records from when they were still living.
The first step in the process is a CT scan, which creates a detailed internal image. Radiologists then compare this image with previous medical records.
The next phase is the autopsy, during which DNA samples will be sent to the lab for analysis, and forensic dentists will compare the teeth with existing dental records.
The entire process will take several days. Afterward, the family will be contacted, and the public will receive updates, if permitted by the family.
Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, head of the Medical Directorate at the Health Ministry, stated, “The upcoming phase tomorrow is both complex and sensitive, and we will do everything in our power to ensure the slain hostages are laid to rest as swiftly as possible.”
Israel is preparing to receive the bodies of hostages who were murdered in captivity in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.
The ceasefire deal with the Palestinian terrorist group stipulates that the bodies of four hostages will be returned to the Jewish state on the 33rd day of the ceasefire, which began on Jan. 19.
Those whose bodies are expected to be handed over to Israel on Thursday are Oded Lifshitz, 86, and Shiri Bibas and her two small children, Ariel and Kfir.
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