The UN Security Council called for an immediate, independent and comprehensive investigation into reports of the discovery of mass graves in the Gaza Strip, stressing the need to allow investigators access to those sites and hold those responsible for these violations accountable.
A council statement yesterday, Friday, stated that members “expressed their deep concern over reports of the discovery of mass graves in and around Nasser Hospitals and the Shifa Complex in the Gaza Strip, where several hundred bodies were buried, including women, children, and the elderly,” noting “the necessity of accountability.” About violations of international law.
The Council also called in its statement to “allow investigators access to all mass grave sites in the Gaza Strip without obstacles to conduct immediate, independent, comprehensive and impartial investigations into the circumstances of those graves.”
According to the statement, the Council members renewed their demand that “all parties must strictly comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law, especially with regard to the protection of civilians and civilian objects.”
Even hospitals
In his statements the day before yesterday, Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres likened some Gaza hospitals to “cemeteries,” pointing out that there were reports of the discovery of mass graves in the Al-Shifa Hospital complex in northern Gaza, and the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis in the south.
Three days ago, medical teams in Gaza found a third mass grave inside Al-Shifa Hospital, from which 49 martyrs were recovered, bringing the number of mass graves found inside hospitals in the Strip to 7 so far, from which the bodies of 520 martyrs were recovered.
Last month, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said, citing the Palestinian Civil Defense authorities, that some of the bodies were handcuffed.
Israel denied responsibility for these crimes, and Israeli government officials claimed that Israeli soldiers “only searched graves in search of Israeli hostages.”
It is known that under international law, hospitals and other medical institutions enjoy special protection measures.
