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The United Nations and Israeli officials condemned Hamas on Thursday after the terror group publicly displayed the bodies of four Israeli hostages before handing them over to the Red Cross.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called the act "abhorrent" and a violation of international law. "Under international law, any handover of remains must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families," Türk said in a statement.
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Hostage remains repatriated from Gaza
(Video: Israel Police)
The hostages, including Israeli infant Kfir Bibas, his 4-year-old brother Ariel, their mother Shiri Bibas and 85-year-old Oded Lifshitz, were transferred to Israel on Thursday as part of the cease-fire agreement reached last month.
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Hostage remains received by Israeli forces, including members of the IDF’s 50th Battalion and Chief Military Rabbi Brig. Gen. Eyal Krim, in a brief military ceremony
(Photo: IDF)
Footage from the handover, unseen in Israel at the request of the hostages' families, showed Hamas operatives in black and camouflage uniforms surrounding the coffins, which were placed on a stage. A banner in the background read: "The Return of the War = The Return of Your Prisoners in Coffins."
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also condemned the display, emphasizing that "any degrading treatment during release operations is unacceptable."