Israel Refuses To Return Bodies Of Slain Palestinians’ For Burial

In response to the shooting in Tel Aviv this week, the Israeli defense minister has ordered that the bodies of Palestinians, killed at the hands of Israeli military forces during alleged attacks, should not be returned to their families for burial.

Avigdor Lieberman issued the order on Thursday following a three-hour security cabinet meeting to discuss measures in the wake of the shooting attack at Tel Aviv’s Sarona Market the previous day which left four Israelis dead.

Lieberman argued that reversing the policy of his predecessor Moshe Ya’alon, will deter potential attackers.

Press TV reports:

Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan also suggested a complete halt to the return of slain Palestinians and the re-establishment of the cemetery where Israel used to bury purported Palestinian assailants during the Second Intifada, which started in September 2000 and ran through February 2005 and claimed about 3,000 Palestinian lives.

A senior official, informed of the contents of the Israeli cabinet meeting and speaking on condition of anonymity, also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the National Security Council to do preparatory work on the cemetery and look into potential repercussions of such a move.

The report came as Deputy Minister of Military Affairs Eli Ben-Dahan said earlier on Thursday that Israeli officials would spare no effort to make life agonizing for the residents of the Palestinian city of Yatta, where the two Palestinian involved in the Tel Aviv shooting attack came from.

“Life in Yatta won’t carry on as usual,” he said, noting that Israeli military forces have cordoned off the area.

Also on Thursday, Israeli authorities issued an order, revoking more than 83,000 permits allowing Palestinians to enter occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem).