University of Southern California Sold Donated Bodies to U.S. Navy for Israeli Military Training

The University of Southern California has sold bodies donated for scientific research and education to the U.S. Navy. Some of those cadavers were used to train Israeli military surgical teams in Los Angeles without the donors' consent. Al Jazeera reported the arrangement on May 13, 2026.

Portions of that supply supported training sessions for Israeli military personnel conducted on U.S. soil. The report highlights that donors or their families were not informed that the bodies might be used for military training purposes. The University of Southern California had accepted the donations under the stated purpose of scientific research and education.

The sessions used cadavers that originated from donations processed through the University of Southern California. The investigation, which included an AJ+ documentary and student reporting, examined how donated remains moved from U.S. universities into military programs.

It focused on the absence of explicit consent for such uses. The University of Southern California has not issued a public statement in response to the findings reported on May 13.