IDF: 361 out of 854 bodies of civilians brought to rabbinate are identified, along with 222 soldiers

The Israel Defense Forces has identified the vast majority of soldiers killed by Hamas terrorists during their attack on southern Israel at the weekend.

The families of 222 soldiers have been formally notified, and their names released to the public.

The identification process for the slain soldiers has been relatively quick, as the army has databases of their fingerprints and dental scans, and the troops themselves have dogtags on them.

The military aims to bury all the slain troops by Friday afternoon.

For civilians, matters have been more complicated. As of this afternoon, a total of 854 bodies of civilians have been brought to the IDF rabbinate base for identification.

Of them, only 361 have been identified, and 264 buried.

Before authorities clear a body for burial, DNA tests and pictures must be taken, which are then run through various national databases. In some cases, families are being asked to come in to identify their loved ones.

The process has been slowed by a lack of experienced staff and equipment, and the devastatingly high death toll, reported to be more than 1,300.

The bodies of Palestinian terrorists are still mostly strewn across southern Israel, and are being slowly collected and taken to another facility. The IDF is also conducting DNA tests on the bodies of those believed to be Palestinian terrorists, in case of any potential mix-up.