In recent years, serious allegations have arisen that Israel has removed organs from Palestinian prisoners and bodies without obtaining consent. These allegations are not new: in 2009, Dr. Yehuda Hiss, then director of Israel’s Abu Kabir forensic institute, admitted that tissue was taken from Palestinian bodies, including that of prisoners, during the 1990s without obtaining permission from the family. Israeli officials stated that the practice stopped around 2000, but evidence suggests otherwise.
Recent reports of Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor state that organ harvesting may still be taking place, particularly in Gaza. Families have reported that when the bodies of detainees' bodies were returned vital organs including kidneys, livers, hearts, and eyes were missing. In these cases, it is believed that prisoners were recently murdered for the purpose of removing certain organs.
Israel has also operated what has been described as the world’s largest skin bank since 1986 by the IDF Medical Corps and the Ministry of Health. Reports indicate that this skin bank may use skin harvested from Palestinians' bodies – again without consent.
These reports warrant independent investigations and accountability.
References:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2009/12/21/israel-admits-to-organ-thefts
This post has been shared on Reddit by @davideownzall through the HivePosh initiative.