Gaza’s mass graves: Is the truth being uncovered?
Palestinian emergency workers are continuing to uncover mass graves in and around three hospitals in Gaza.
More than 500 bodies have so far been recovered, including several that show signs of mutilation and torture, according to Palestinian officials.
The UN, the US and the EU have called for an independent investigation, but with Israel’s closure of the Rafah border crossing and preventing any possible deployment of forensic teams or equipment into Gaza, burial sites are being dug up and evidence haphazardly collected.
Experts said the disturbance of sites where proof of war crimes might lie will make the search for truth harder – yet not all hopes for justice are lost.
Eighty bodies discovered in al-Shifa Hospital mass graves
The bodies of 80 Palestinians have been uncovered in three mass graves at al-Shifa Hospital, bringing the total number of bodies discovered in such graves in different sites throughout Gaza following the withdrawal of Israeli forces to 520, according to the Health Ministry in the besieged and bombarded territory.
There is “hard evidence” that some of the victims were “executed” at point-blank range, with bullet wounds found in their heads and chests, the ministry said.
Earlier this week, Palestinian officials said they had discovered a new mass grave at al-Shifa Hospital, which was sieged by Israeli forces in March, marking the seventh such grave found throughout Gaza since the start of Israel’s war.
People use a bulldozer to search for bodies at the Al-Shifa medical complex in Gaza City on May 8
Four al-Shifa Hospital medical staff killed, 42 detained
Among those found killed in al-Shifa Hospital are four health officials, said Gaza’s Health Ministry in a press statement, bringing the total number of medical staff killed during the war to 492.
In addition, the ministry said Israeli forces have detained 42 medical staff from the hospital, bringing the total number of detained health officials to 310.
The detained medical officials are held in “dire conditions” that threaten their lives, the ministry said, noting the recent death of surgeon Adnan al-Bursh in Israeli custody.
The ministry called on Israel to “immediately release all the medical staff…and to act swiftly to salvage what is left of our medical facility”.
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