The University of Southern California (USC) has received nearly $1.1 million from the US Navy over the past seven years for human cadavers used in military medical training, including courses designed for the Israeli occupation Forces (IOF), according to federal contracts reviewed by Annenberg Media.

Since 2017, the Navy has paid USC more than $860,000 for at least 89 “fresh cadaver bodies,” 32 of which were used by IOF medical teams at Los Angeles General Medical Center. One contract remains active, allowing an additional $225,000 in cadaver purchases through September 2026.

Medical experts are raising alarms over how the bodies are sourced. Many come from the Los Angeles County Office of Decedent Affairs, which handles cremation and burial for unclaimed remains. Others are given away through USC’s Anatomical Gift Program.

“Even though they’re deceased, they still deserve dignity and proper treatment,” said Thomas Champney, an anatomy professor at the University of Miami who studies body donation ethics. He noted that, unlike organ donation, cadaver use is loosely regulated, with most universities operating under “blanket consent” policies.