Each government hospital has a place for washing bodies, and this section is also used for autopsies. Residents of Area C in the West Bank are still under Israeli civilian and military authority, and autopsies for them are conducted in Israel, usually in Abu-Kabir. A Palestinian doctor is always present during those autopsies. Delays in performing the autopsies can be caused by a the presence of bodies in the area for autopsies, but this delay would not be for more than a day or two. Families are often impatient when it comes to autopsies, because they want to bury their relative as soon as possible.
Some families sign a document asking that no autopsy be performed.
The autopsies are conducted only by professionals, in accordance to the standards of the international organization for forensic specialists. Families are entitled to copies of the autopsy report. They must ask for it from the local prosecutor, as the doctors performing the autopsy do not have permission to release the results. Autopsies are not always performed shortly after the death and the results of autopsies are not always given to the families. Finally, in the absence of publicly released investigation findings, it isn't clear how the autopsy results are used, if at all.