According to the Palestinian Civil Defense, the three mass graves in the area of the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza contain at least 392 corpses that are “stacked on top of each other”. They said so at a press conference on Thursday.
For several weeks the hospital was under Israeli control.
- The majority of the bodies cannot be identified, either because they are too badly decomposed or mutilated, says a spokesman for the Civil Defence.
- Some of the bodies show signs of having been executed or tortured. Up to 20 may have been buried alive, they claim.
- Among those buried were children and hospital patients, some of whom were found with hospital hoses from operating theaters or recovery rooms. Others have been found with their legs in plaster.
It is not possible for VG to independently verify the information from the Palestinian health authorities. International journalists are also denied entry into Gaza by Egypt and Israel.
But the UN and the US also express deep concern about the discovery.
Doctor at Nasser Hospital
VG has spoken to doctor Ahmed Moghrabi, who is head of reconstructive plastic surgery at Nasser Hospital.
Earlier this year, he worked day and night saving lives in the hospital, after the fierce Israeli airstrikes.
But not everyone survived.
– People had to bury the dead inside the hospital because no one could leave the area, he tells VG.
In February, the hospital was besieged by Israeli soldiers, and the surrounding area was dangerous. Many had no choice but to bury their loved ones inside the hospital courtyard.
But the Palestinian authorities accuse Israel of killing even more Palestinians and putting them in the same mass graves after Israel gained full control of the hospital. In addition, they believe that Israel has dug up bodies that make identification work more difficult.
Doctor Moghrabi himself managed to escape, but he says that several of his colleagues were arrested by the Israeli military.
The images of mass graves that are now being opened shock the doctor.
– But what is not normal is finding dismembered corpses without heads and skin, and corpses with hands tied behind their backs. This is not normal to find in a hospital, he says.
The UN reacts
According to UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani, some of the victims were found naked with their hands tied behind their backs.
– These disturbing reports must be thoroughly investigated. Some of the bodies had their hands tied, which indicates human rights violations and violations of international law, says Shamdasani.
– Among the dead were allegedly elderly people, women and the wounded, while others were found with their hands tied behind their backs and undressed, says Shamdasani.
Weapons and concern from the United States
This week, Israel received more help from its most important ally.
The US decided to allocate an additional 26 billion dollars to Israel, of which the majority of the money will go to weapons and missiles for Israel.
But the US is now demanding answers from Israel about the mass graves. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the reports are “deeply disturbing”.
– We have been in contact with the Israeli government at several levels. We want answers. We want to find out exactly what happened, says Sullivan.
– We want this to be thoroughly and transparently investigated so that the whole world can get a comprehensive answer, he further stated.
In a statement to VG, the IDF writes that they have not buried Palestinian bodies in the area. But they acknowledge that they have opened graves in search of Israeli hostages.
They claim to have treated the bodies with respect before burying them where they were found.
– During the IDF’s operation in the area around the hospital, bodies buried by Palestinians were examined in the search for hostages and missing persons. The investigations were carried out in a gentle manner, and only in places where information indicated that there could be hostages, the IDF spokesperson informs.
