The United States has initiated inquiries into reports emerging from Gaza, alleging the discovery of a mass grave containing more than 300 bodies at a hospital within the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis. Gaza’s Civil Defense agency stated that its health workers had found the bodies of individuals killed and buried by Israeli forces at the hospital.
Colonel Yamen Abu Suleiman, director of Civil Defense in Khan Younis, reported that 35 bodies were discovered on Tuesday, bringing the total to 310. Suleiman raised concerns about the conditions in which some bodies were found, alleging that their hands and feet were tied, and there were indications of field executions. He expressed uncertainty about whether the individuals were buried alive or executed.
Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the claims made by Gaza’s Civil Defense. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dismissed these allegations as “baseless and unfounded.” The IDF maintains that its actions were part of an effort to locate hostages and missing persons and that the examination of corpses buried by Palestinians in the area of Nasser Hospital was conducted respectfully, with the dignity of the deceased preserved. Bodies not belonging to Israeli hostages were returned to their original location.
The IDF further asserted that its forces carried out a precise operation in the Nasser Hospital area, capturing approximately 200 terrorists, discovering undelivered and unused medicines intended for Israeli hostages, and confiscating a substantial amount of ammunition. They强调 that the operation was conducted in a targeted manner, without causing harm to the hospital, patients, or medical personnel.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller was questioned about the claims made by Gaza’s Civil Defense during a news briefing on Monday, when the number of bodies reported was lower. Miller acknowledged the reports and stated that the U.S. was inquiring about the matter with the Israeli government. When asked if the U.S. would pressure Israel for further investigation, Miller confirmed that such actions were being taken.
The Israeli military has consistently accused Hamas of using hospitals and medical facilities as command centers and for holding hostages, allegations that the militants have denied. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on April 6 that Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa in Gaza City, had been severely damaged by an Israeli siege.
According to the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza, the ongoing conflict, which began after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, has resulted in the deaths of at least 34,183 people in the Gaza Strip. Major General Aharon Haliva, Israel’s top military intelligence chief, resigned over the Hamas attacks, expressing in a letter that the intelligence directorate under his command “did not fulfill its task.”
President Joe Biden’s unwavering support for Israel’s response has sparked criticism and divided opinions. On Monday, Biden met with U.S. Representative and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who oppose Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Gaza bombing campaign. While Biden’s administration has maintained its support for Israel, it has also placed increasing emphasis on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, issued a statement this month highlighting that the humanitarian situation in Gaza had “reached catastrophic levels with nearly the entire population forcibly displaced and facing dire shortages of essential goods and services.”
