Gaza Strip mass graves

In April 2024, mass graves were discovered in the Gaza Strip during Israel war and possibly genocide campaign on Gaza. Such graves were found in two large hospitals, Nasser Hospital and Al-Shifa Hospital, both of which were raided by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Graves were also found in Beit Lahia and Deir al-Balah. More than 300 bodies have been found as of 24 April, 2024.

The discovery has caused international concern over potential war crimes and calls for an investigation, including by the United Nations (UN). Several officials at the UN have cited reports that an unspecified amount of the bodies found had their hands tied.

Background

Since the start of the Israel–Hamas war, Israel has attacked, damaged or destroyed nearly every hospital in the Gaza Strip. In January 2024, the Gazan health ministry said that 40 bodies were buried inside the hospital due to "the siege on the neighbourhoods close to Nasser Hospital". A Nasser hospital official had told journalists in January that hospital staff had buried around 150 bodies in the hospital's yard.

The hospital was shelled multiple times throughout the war and received significant international media coverage after the death of a 13-year-old amputee, Donia Abu Mohsen, who had survived a previous Israeli airstrike that had killed her entire family. Nasser Hospital was reported to be non-functional after a February Israeli raid.

Israeli soldiers entered the hospital on 15 February 2024 from the south, destroying tents and bulldozing a mass grave. Israel stated it exhumed and examined some 400 corpses looking for Israeli hostages.

Due to power outages during the entry of Israeli soldiers into the hospital, five patients in the hospital died. On 18 February, the World Health Organization said the hospital could no longer serve its patients, and that the hospital was no longer functional. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attributed the hospital's inability to continue operating to the Israeli siege and raid.

Mass graves had previously been discovered at Al-Shifa Hospital after the siege there earlier in 2024.

List of discovered graves

Nasser Medical Complex

Main article: Nasser Hospital mass graves

In April 2024, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, over 300 bodies of young men, women, and children were unearthed at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, Gaza, after Israeli military withdrawal. The bodies exhibited signs of having been bound and potentially executed in the field. Reports indicate that two other mass graves have been identified, but have yet to be excavated.

Al-Shifa Hospital

In April 2024, health workers in Gaza exhumed the first bodies from mass graves at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where at least 381 bodies were found after the withdrawal of Israeli forces, following their two-week siege. Many bodies showed signs of severe trauma, including being crushed or disfigured, partially as a result of being run over by Israeli tanks. The graves included both buried and above-ground remains, some under dirt or plastic sheeting.

Beit Lahiya

A mass grave was been discovered on the grounds of a school in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip. The bodies of 30 Palestinians were reportedly found in body bags, blindfolded and their hands tied behind their backs. The Palestinian Prisoners' Club has confirmed the discovery and indicated that the victims were under detention, suggesting they were executed in the field. The victims' identities, circumstances and dates of death are unknown.

Deir al Balah

A mass grave was also discovered in Deir al-Balah. At least 50 people have been buried in a mass grave due to the large number of casualties, said the city's mayor, Diab Al-Jaro.

UN call for investigation

The United Nations called for "clear, transparent and credible investigations" into the mass graves. Volker Turk emphasized that hospitals are entitled to very special protection under international humanitarian law. He also stated that the deliberate killing of civilians, prisoners, and others who are hors de combat (unable to participate in combat) is a war crime.

Israel-Hamas response

The Israeli Defence Forces said the accusations of them causing the killings were "baseless and unfounded." The IDF said that during its operation "in the area of Nasser Hospital, in accordance to the effort to locate hostages and missing persons, corpses buried by Palestinians in the area of Nasser Hospital were examined." They further stated that “Bodies examined, which did not belong to Israeli hostages, were returned to their place.” Sky News published an analysis of satellite imagery and social media footage of mass graves dug by Palestinians during Israel's siege, which were later bulldozed by the IDF.

Hamas has criticized the international community for its silence after the discovery of mass graves in Gaza. They called the findings evidence of "Zionist fascism" and war crimes. Hamas demanded that international institutions hold Israel accountable.

Reactions

• Egypt: The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that "it is sad and shameful that violations of international law and human values continue in this way in the 21st century, in full view and hearing of all countries, international organizations and the Security Council." Egypt also said it condemned violations of international law, including the targeting of civilians, displaced persons and medical teams by Israeli forces.

• Germany: Germany has called for an investigation into media reports on the discovery of mass graves.

• Iran: The spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanani, has described this massacre as horrific and heartbreaking. Emphasizing that international humanitarian law, particularly the 1949 Geneva Conventions, supports medical centers and hospitals, he said, adding that damning evidence shows that the Israeli government and Zionists are responsible for the atrocities committed in this crime. Iran's ambassador to Geneva and permanent representative to international organizations, Ali Bahrain, has also called for an immediate end to crimes in the Gaza enclave in response to the discovery of mass graves.

• Jordan: Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Sufyan Qadah reiterated the kingdom's condemnation of Israeli actions and crimes, adding that these actions are not only a violation of international law and humanitarian law, but also war crimes.

• Palestine: Palestinian officials have called for an international investigation after a mass grave of people who were blindfolded and handcuffed was found in Gaza. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called for an international investigation into what it described as an Israeli massacre, and demanded that a team visit Gaza to find out "the reality and extent of this genocide to which our people are being exposed".

• Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia has condemned Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip. The kingdom's foreign ministry emphasized that the international community's failure to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law will only lead to more violations and an increase in humanitarian tragedies and destruction.

• South Africa: South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has expressed its deep concern and shock at the discovery of the mass grave, describing the discovery as appalling.

• United States: The US State Department has expressed concern over mass graves. Spokesman Matthew Miller said the US was inquiring with Israel about the reports. The US has asked Israel about reports of mass graves. The White House has also described reports of mass graves in Gaza as 'deeply troubling'. US officials have spoken to their Israeli counterparts to learn more about the reports.

• Ansar Allah: Following the discovery of the mass graves, Yemen's Houthi group urged its forces to step up its operations against Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. The Houthi group emphasized the continuous stand of the Yemeni people in support of the Palestinian people and their heroic resistance in Gaza.

• The Scottish National Party's deputy Westminster leader, Mhairi Black, has urged the UK government to condemn reports of mass graves in Gaza hospitals as war crimes. She reiterated her party's call for an end to arms sales to Israel during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday. Black likens the condemnation of mass graves in Ukraine as war crimes to the failure to do so so far in this case. She told the Commons: "When mass graves were discovered in Ukraine two years ago, this House was united in condemnation and considered the graves to be evidence of war crimes, for which Russia must respond. Yesterday, Palestinian authorities in Gaza Covering up mass graves outside bombed hospitals is also considered a war crime, isn't it?" In response to Black, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said Israel was expected to investigate any allegations of misconduct. Dowden continued to urge the Israeli government to investigate any allegations of misconduct.

• Amnesty International has called for immediate access to the Gaza Strip for human rights investigators following the discovery of mass graves. Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International's senior director, stressed the need to preserve these sites for forensic evidence and identification of remains. He highlighted ICJ orders for Israel to preserve evidence to prevent genocide and urged third states to pressure Israel to allow independent investigators and forensic experts into Gaza.

International organizations

• United Nations rights chief Volker Türk said that he was "horrified" by the site and called for an international investigation. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the attack indicated "serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law."

• The European Union (EU) has backed a UN call for an independent investigation into the alleged discovery of mass graves. European Union spokesman Peter Stano said the situation "forces us to call for an independent investigation of all suspicions and all circumstances, because it gives the impression that international human rights may have been violated".

• The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned Israel's "continuous and tragic massacre" of Palestinians following the discovery of mass graves. The OIC said it called the discovery of the mass grave "a war crime, a crime against humanity, and organized state terrorism that requires investigation, accountability and sanction under international criminal law".

• The Arab League will hold an emergency meeting to discuss Israel's deadly attack on the Gaza Strip. The meeting will discuss Israel's ongoing genocidal war, the discovery of mass graves in Gaza and the US veto against the Palestinian bid for full UN membership.