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Thousands of Israeli Arabs and East Jerusalem residents own and sell property in the West Bank, with few restrictions imposed on them by the PA. (...) It is forbidden to pray for him, it is forbidden to purify his body before burial, and it is forbidden to bury him in a Muslim cemetery.” In November 2018, Jerusalem’s chief rabbi approved a burial request for Ala'a Qarash, a Muslim man killed in a car accident who was banned from burial the city’s Muslim cemeteries because he was suspected of selling land to Jews.

These practices have all escalated since October 2015,1 and have led to the killing of 296 Palestinians in the OPT, many as a direct result of Israel’s use of excessive and lethal force even when not strictly necessary or proportional.2 Since October 2015, Israel has also withheld the bodies of 161 deceased Palestinians, obstructing potential investigations into their killings and delaying the return of their remains to their families for a dignified burial.3 As of 16 August 2017, 11 bodies of Palestinians remain in Israeli custody despite international calls on Israel to end this practice as one that amounts to unlawful collective punishment in violation of international humanitarian law.4 i. (...) Moreover, the illegal exploding bullets used by the IOF to shoot Sa’d and Aws indicated an 1 This includes five Palestinians with Israeli or Jordanian citizenships killed by the IOF in occupied East Jerusalem. 2 http://www.alhaq.org/documentation/field-updates-2015/989-special-focus-holding-the-bodies-of-deceased-palestinians-by-israelA 3 A/71/352, paragraphs 46-48. 4 A/HRC/34/36, paragraph 31; A/71/364, paragraph 25. 5 http://www.alhaq.org/documentation/weekly-focuses/1028-from-killing-to-burial-questions-left-unanswered. 6http://www.alhaq.org/documentation/weekly-focuses/1072-qmistakenq-killings-iof-kill-palestinian-civilians-mustafa-nimer-and- iyad-hamed-despite-posing-no-threat-or-danger-to-anyone 7 http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.780230 8http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/topics/right-to-life-and-body-integrity/1115-the-killing-of-seham-nimer-how-the-israeli-occupation- destroys-palestinian-families- 9http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/topics/right-to-life-and-body-integrity/1134-increase-in-palestinians-killed-by-israeli-occupation- forces-in-july-2017 A/HRC/36/NGO/70 3 intention to inflict severe pain and suffering on them.10 Their killing in this brutal manner appears to amount to an arbitrary killing; accordingly, there must be a prompt, effective, and independent investigation into these killings by Israeli authorities. 5. (...) Upon releasing the bodies, Israel often imposes conditions on families ranging from limitations on the number of funeral attendees to requiring immediate burial once the body is handed over. 7. As a result of this practice, families have begun to take extreme measures to ensure that the IOF does not seize the bodies of their loved ones.

Despite the overall progress, there are still regions where safe burials are not carried out. Improved geogr aphical coverage and greater mobility of safe burial teams are needed. In addition, portions of the population remain sceptical about safe and dignified burials, which leads them to carry out clandestine, unsafe burials. (...) Similarly, there are enough burial teams in place to ensure safe and dignified burials in 100 per cent of all deaths due to Ebola.

There continues to be sufficient capacity at the national level to conduct safe burials, with 74 burial teams active in Guinea, 80 in Liberia and 129 in Sierra Leone. 11. (...) Despite sufficient capacity to conduct safe burials at the national level, unsafe burials continue to be reported. (...) The Sierra Leonean Red Cross carried out an average of 450 safe and dignified burials per week in all districts. In Liberia, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Liberian Red Cross carried out 125 safe and dignified burials and disinfected 58 households in March.

In addition, as part of the ongoing efforts to identify exact burial locations, the Ministry continued its investigation of the naval base site in Kuwait and of the Khamisiyah, Radwaniyah, Barjisiyah and Salman Pak sites in Iraq. (...) The priority remains an analysis of relevant satellite imagery to pinpoint more narrowly potential burial sites, as a prerequisite for further action on the ground. (...) The able leadership of ICRC in the tripartite mechanism remains pivotal in refocusing research efforts and adopting appropriate exploration methods so as to maximize the chances of locating burial sites in Iraq and Kuwait. S/2019/78 5/5 19-00649 21.