Ruins of the Al-Shifa medical complex. Mass graves of murdered Palestinians discovered in Gaza Peace and Security
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has received information about the discovery of mass graves in the Gaza Strip. The slain Palestinians were reportedly found stripped naked and with their hands tied, raising fears of possible war crimes.
Hundreds of bodies discovered over the weekend were “buried deep in the ground and covered with debris” at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, according to OHCHR. A total of 283 bodies were found at Nasser Hospital, 42 of which were identified.
“Among the dead were elderly people and women. Some of them were found with their hands tied and without clothes,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Burials at Al Shifa
Before the war began, the Al-Shifa complex was the main medical facility in the enclave. Earlier this month, the Israeli military carried out an operation there to eliminate Hamas militants believed to be operating in the compound. After two weeks of intense fighting, UN humanitarian workers assessed the condition of the site and confirmed that Al Shifa is now an “empty shell” and most of the equipment has been destroyed.
In the hospital courtyard, 30 Palestinian bodies were found buried in two mass graves. The bodies of 12 people have already been identified, but the rest have not yet been identified.
“There are reports that the hands of several of those killed were tied,” Shamdasani said. According to her, there may be many more casualties than the IDF claimed (200 killed).
“Intentional killing of civilians”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a statement on Tuesday regarding the destruction of Nasser and Al-Shifa hospitals, as well as reports of the discovery of mass graves.
“ The deliberate killing of civilians and prisoners is a war crime,” Türk emphasized, calling for an independent investigation into the incident.
The number of victims is growing
As of April 22, more than 34,000 Palestinians had died in Gaza, including 14,685 children and 9,670 women, the Office of the High Commissioner said, citing health authorities in the enclave. Another 77,084 people were injured, and more than seven thousand Palestinians are believed to remain trapped under the rubble.
“Every 10 minutes a child is killed or injured. Children are protected by the laws of war, and yet they are the ones who die disproportionately in war,” said the High Commissioner.
Turk’s Warning
Volker Türk repeated his warning against a full-scale Israeli invasion of Rafah, where an estimated 1.2 million Gazans have taken refuge.
“World leaders are united in the need to protect civilians trapped in Rafah,” the High Commissioner said in a statement, which also condemned Israeli strikes on the city that have killed mostly women and children in the past few days.
“The latest images of a premature baby removed from the womb of a dying mother and two houses where 15 children and five women were killed – all this goes beyond the rules of warfare “, Turk said.
The High Commissioner repeated his call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages captured in Israel, and the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid.