Uncertainties surrounding the mass graves in Khan Yunis

Since last Saturday, over 300 dead bodies have been exhumed from mass graves at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis.

This after Israeli troops left the area two weeks ago, following a month-long raid in the area.

The UN must investigate

According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, most of the victims are women and children.

– There are still many uncertainties about how these people died and when they may have been buried, says Gilda Hamidi-Nia.

The UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, said on Tuesday that he was “appalled” by the reports. The UN is now demanding that an independent investigation be appointed, which the EU Commission is also demanding.

– Especially since there are reports that some bodies had their hands tied behind their backs or were completely naked, says Gilda Hamidi-Nia.

The IDF denies

Israel’s military (IDF) denies the allegations and says that “the allegation that the IDF buried Palestinian bodies is completely baseless,” according to the Times of Israel.

– According to the IDF, the graves were already there and believe that they had dug up the graves to look for any dead hostages, says Hamidi-Nia.

New graves after the raid

The IDF states that its soldiers carried out the military operation “with respect for the dead”. But according to an investigation by Sky News, the military has bulldozed the graves.

Before the IDF raid on the hospital, staff were forced to bury bodies outside the hospital because it was impossible to get to nearby burial grounds, according to the BBC.

However, another area of ​​graves has been added, either during or after Israel’s raid, according to Sky News, which reviewed satellite images and other footage from the site.