(MENAFN) On Wednesday evening, the Israeli Knesset approved, in its preliminary reading, a draft law prohibiting the return of Palestinian bodies to their families. Instead, the bodies would be buried in cemeteries inside Israel, commonly referred to as "enemy dead graves" or "cemeteries of numbers." This legislation is part of a broader wave of laws seen as "racist," coming from an Israeli government dominated by far-right elements.

The bill, introduced by Likud party member MP Michel Bousquila, received support from 40 out of 120 Knesset members, with 8 voting against it. The positions of the remaining 72 members were unclear, and it is unknown whether they participated in the vote. The bill will now be referred to the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee for further discussion before returning to the Knesset Plenary for additional readings. If passed in these readings, the bill will become law.

The bill stipulates that Palestinian bodies will be buried in cemeteries dedicated to "enemy dead" in Israel. However, it also gives the Israeli Prime Minister the authority to make exceptions and allow the return of a body to the family in special cases.These "enemy dead graves" are controlled by the Israeli occupation forces and serve as burial sites for those killed in armed operations or soldiers from hostile armies. The graves, which contain hundreds of bodies, have been kept from their families for political reasons. The graves are marked with numbers rather than names, and the identity of those buried is closely guarded by the occupation forces, according to human rights groups.

MENAFN12122024000045015687ID1108985566