Amnesty International calls for investigation into mass graves at two Gaza hospitals/AFP/Getty Images
2024.04.26 Web Posted at 16:34 JST
(CNN) Authorities in the Palestinian Authority of Gaza announced on the 25th that they had completed the search for bodies buried in a group at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis, and had exhumed a total of 392 bodies. Some of the bodies were still wearing surgical gowns.
At a press conference in the southern city of Rafah, the Gaza Civil Defense Force said that of the bodies found in the hospital after Israeli forces withdrew, 165 had been identified, while 227 had not. know again.
The bodies are said to have been buried in groups in three locations in the hospital: in front of the morgue, behind the morgue, and on the north side of the dialysis ward.
The Israeli Defense Forces say that information that they have exhumed Palestinian bodies is false and say that the burial site at Nasser Hospital was dug up by Palestinians several months ago.
The Civil Defense confirmed that around 100 of the bodies were buried in the Nasser hospital cemetery before the IDF operation began.
CNN reporters who visited the scene on the 21st spoke to people who said they temporarily buried the bodies of murdered family members on the hospital grounds in January. When Israeli soldiers returned after withdrawing on April 7, they found the bodies exhumed and buried in groups in a different location from where they were originally buried.
The Gaza Civil Defense Force also displayed images on television screens during a press conference. Pictures seen by CNN showed bodies at the hospital, almost indistinguishable. There were rotting bodies of children inside as well.
CNN reporters who visited the scene on the 21st and 22nd saw several decomposed bodies in surgical gowns. Photos seen by CNN showed several bodies still wearing hospital wristbands.
CNN photos taken inside the hospital also show the decomposing bodies of children.
The Gaza Civil Defense Police said, “The presence of children’s bodies in the mass grave at Nasser Hospital proves the crime of genocide,” adding that at least 20 civilians were left alive suspected to have been buried. . However, the basis for this has not been disclosed as the investigation is ongoing.
A man came face to face with the rotting body of his 15-year-old son, pointing at him and saying, “He’s my son. You can tell by his shirt.”
The man knelt down and grabbed his son’s head, murmuring, “God, he’s dead. He’s dead,” and wiped his tears.
The Gaza Civil Defense Police said some of the bodies showed signs of torture, while others were in advanced stages of decomposition because the Israeli army had buried them in plastic bags at a depth of 3 meters. “The occupation forces deliberately destroyed the evidence of the crimes at Nasser Hospital by changing the plastic cover over and over again,” he said.
The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to specific questions about the mass graves.
However, he said dozens of bodies were being transported from Gaza and DNA tests were being carried out in Israel before they were returned in containers.
The Palestinian Civil Defense Forces are calling on the United Nations to form an international commission to investigate the Nasser Hospital mass graves.
Speaking at a press conference on the 25th at UN Headquarters in New York, a spokesman for the Secretary-General said he was calling for an international investigation into the mass graves at Nasser Hospital, but said it was not clear on once which method would be. use.
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