United Nations leaders demanded a “clear, transparent and credible” investigation on Tuesday after mass graves containing the bodies of hundreds of men and women were discovered at two major hospitals in Gaza that were previously under attack by the Israeli military.
The mass graves contained some people naked with their hands tied, raising concerns about potential war crimes, the UN said, describing the bodies as “buried deep in the ground and covered in rubbish”.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday that investigators must have full access to the sites and ensure the safety of the Israeli military.
Mass graves were discovered at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, containing 283 bodies at Nasser site alone. The Khan Younis cemetery was built because Palestinian civilians were unable to carry out burials due to continued military attacks by Israeli forces, the Palestinian Civil Defense said.
“Hospitals are entitled to very special protection under international humanitarian law,” UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Tuesday. “And the intentional killing of civilians, detainees and others who are ‘out of commission’ (unable to engage in combat) is a war crime.”
Türk said any investigation into the mass graves should be independent of the Israeli government “given the prevailing climate of impunity,” adding that he was “horrified” by the reports.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani added that 30 bodies were discovered at Al-Shifa Hospital, including some bound and bound.
She added that there could be “many more” victims “despite the Israel Defense Forces’ claim of having killed 200 Palestinians during the Al-Shifa medical complex operation.”
US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel called the reports of mass graves “incredibly concerning” and said the Biden administration had questioned the Israeli government.
The Israeli government said its forces have already exhumed bodies buried at the sites in search of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the conflict. The Israeli military surrounded hospitals for days earlier this year, claiming Hamas militants were inside among civilians. The claims could not be independently verified.
It is unclear which body would conduct an investigation if authorized.
The Israeli military has again intensified attacks in southern Gaza in recent days, hoping to advance towards the city of Rafah. A total of 34,000 Palestinians – two-thirds of them women and children – were killed in the war, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Much of Gaza has now turned to famine as the Biden administration continues to pressure the Israeli government to allow more humanitarian aid into the territory as the humanitarian crisis deepens.
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