UN condemns Hamas for parading hostages’ coffins in Gaza (photos)

Hamas has faced widespread condemnation for publicly displaying the coffins of Israeli hostages in Gaza, an act the United Nations rights chief has described as “abhorrent” and a violation of international law.

Israelis are mourning the deaths of the youngest hostages—baby Kfir Bibas, his four-year-old brother Ariel, their mother Shiri, and elderly captive Oded Lifshitz—whose remains were believed to be inside the caskets.

Armed Hamas fighters paraded the four coffins before handing them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Israeli military received the bodies inside Gaza, draped them in Israeli flags, and transported them across the border, where they were met by grieving citizens.

The handover ceremony in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, was attended by thousands of people, including armed fighters, who cheered and waved banners. Some posters carried threats, including one that read, “The Return of the War = The Return of your Prisoners in Coffins.” Hamas also displayed mock munitions labeled, “They were killed by USA bombs,” and a poster portraying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk strongly condemned the display, stating, “Under international law, any handover of the remains of deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families.”

Dailymail