Parading coffins of dead hostages in Gaza a violation of international law, says UN human rights official

The public parading of deceased hostages’ coffins on a stage in Gaza was “cruel” and a violation international law, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has said. 

Hamas today returned the remains of deceased hostages Shiri Bibas, her two children — four-year-old Ariel and his infant brother Kfir — and 85-year-old Oded Lifshitz, all of whom were abuducted from southern Israel on October 7, 2023. 

The terror group orchestrated the spectacle of another handover ceremony to Red Cross officials this morning in Khan Younis, following the pattern of previous exchanges of Israeli hostages since the ceasefire. Four black coffins were lined up on stage, in front of a banner of Benjamin Netanyahu with blood dripping from his mouth with text in English accusing him of being responsible for the captives’ deaths. 

In response, UN High Commissioner Volker Turk issued a statement, saying: “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.”

The events have been widely condemned in the Jewish world and beyond as a “gruesome pantomine”.

An Israeli cries as a convoy of vehicles transporting the bodies of the four Israeli hostages handed over by Hamas, drives past near the southern city of Sderot (Getty)AFP via Getty Images

Adam Wagner and Adam Rose are the lawyers representing British hostage families, including Dr Sharone Lifschitz, Oded’s daughter.

"We cannot confirm yet whose bodies have been returned, but four bodies represent four whole worlds, and four total failures – as we said when we took the British hostage families to meet with Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street: this is what failure looks like,” the lawyers said in a statement.

"It came as no surprise that the terrorists chose to make a gruesome pantomime of the handover of the bodies this morning. Hostage taking is inherently abusive and undignified - that is why it is a war crime.”

The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, wrote on X: “It is pure evil to take a mother and her young children and an elderly man hostage.

"It takes another layer of evil to be responsible for their deaths. And yet a further layer of evil to trade their bodies to release hundreds of prisoners including terrorists serving life sentences for murder.

"This is what Israel is up against. Today, all decent people around the world mourn with Israel, Kibbutz Nir Oz, and the Bibas and Lifshitz families. With broken hearts, we pray for the return of all the hostages and a just and lasting peace.”