The United Nations has called for a clear, transparent, and credible investigation into the mass graves uncovered at Shifa medical center in Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric emphasized the need for credible investigators to access the sites and for increased protection for journalists reporting from Gaza. Volker Türk, the UN’s human rights chief, expressed horror at the destruction of the hospitals and the reported discovery of mass graves, demanding independent and transparent investigations. He stressed that such inquiries should include international investigators, given the prevailing climate of impunity. Hospitals, under international law, receive special protection, and the intentional killing of civilians and non-combatants constitutes a war crime. Meanwhile, Vedant Patel of the US State Department deemed the reports of mass graves as troubling and stated that the US had sought information from the Israeli government. The Israeli military, however, asserted that it exhumed bodies buried by Palestinians in its search for the remains of hostages taken by Hamas. The military maintained that bodies were handled respectfully, and those not related to Israeli hostages were returned to their original burial place. The military further claimed to have killed or captured hundreds of terrorists within the hospital complexes, a claim that remains unverified. Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, is believed to be holding Israeli hostages, according to Israel. The Palestinian civil defense in Gaza reported unearthing 283 bodies from a temporary burial ground inside the Khan Younis hospital, which was established during the Israeli siege last month. The organization stated that some bodies belonged to individuals killed during the siege, while others were victims of the hospital raid. Palestinian health officials have decried the hospital raids as devastating to Gaza’s health system, which struggles to cope with the escalating casualties from the prolonged conflict. The authority responsible for conducting the investigation remains unclear, as a major UN body would have to authorize its involvement. The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has indicated that its investigation into potential crimes by Hamas fighters and Israeli forces remains a priority. The discovery of the mass graves underscores the urgency for a ceasefire, improved humanitarian access, increased protection for hospitals, and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The Hamas attack that ignited the conflict resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and the abduction of approximately 250 hostages. Israel contends that Hamas continues to detain around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. In response, Israel launched air and ground attacks in Gaza, killing over 34,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to local health officials. The offensive has left Gaza’s largest cities in ruins, created a humanitarian crisis, and forced about 80% of the population to flee to other parts of the coastal enclave.
UN Calls for Probe of Mass Graves in Gaza Hospitals Raid by Israeli Troops
