According to reports citing the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Israeli government is currently in possession of roughly 1,700 bodies of Palestinians. The report suggests that these remains are being held as leverage for potential future exchange deals. This policy of retaining bodies is a long-standing practice for the Israeli military, which frequently conducts operations in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The report notes that the total number of bodies held by Israel was recently increased following internal discussions among senior Israeli leadership. This development comes despite the current absence of Israeli captives held by Hamas in the context of these specific potential exchanges. While Israel has historically utilized the return of remains as a bargaining chip, the scale of the current figure—1,700—marks a significant point of focus in the ongoing conflict. The practice remains a point of contention, as international human rights organizations have previously criticized the policy, arguing that it denies families the ability to bury their deceased according to cultural and religious customs. The Israeli government has not provided a detailed public justification for the specific increase in the number of bodies being held at this time.