This footage was filmed and produced 7 March 2024.

Israeli authorities returned the bodies of 47 people to the Gaza Strip through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, the Palestinian crossings authority said on Thursday.

The bodies were taken to Abu Yousef El-Najar Hospital in Rafah for identification and preparation for burial.

Bodies are buried in a mass grave west of Rafah.

SOUNDBITE 1:

01:15-01:22
They are covering it with white color. They will recognize the body.

SOUNDBITE 2, Ihsan Al-Natour:

02:12-02:28
So far, no one knows who these martyrs are because they are decomposed, so we couldn't recognize them.

02:29-02:42
Someone recognized the body of his mother by her cover "hijab" and her golden tooth, and he hopes that she is.

SOUNBITE 3, Umm Nael Tayeh:

02:45-02:56
We were forced to leave our homes, we are starving. What will we do? Thank God for everything.

02:56-03:16
We don't know what to do, we are dying. Look at these 120 martyrs here, mass graves. What will we do? In the north, people are dying because they don't have anything to eat.

03:18-03:28
We were forced to leave our homes. The killed children, what did they do to be killed?

03:29-03:55
- Thanks to God, will we say!
- Could you recognize your children?
- No we couldn't because all bodies were decomposed. Their mother has died because she was so sad.

03:58-04:14
These bodies were taken by Israel from Khan Yunis. They brought them here and none of the people could recognize their relatives.