A woman stands at the foot of a grave, screaming in desperation that the body before her is her son, Nabil. She identifies his jacket among the nearly 400 bodies recovered from mass graves in the Al Nasser hospital complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. These graves were discovered after Israeli troops withdrew from the compound they had occupied in December. The woman’s mother, accompanied by her daughter, confirms the identification, insisting that she could recognize her son even by his bones.
Less than half of the bodies have been identified so far, with Palestinian emergency services estimating around 300 more bodies remaining to be exhumed. Local authorities, led by Hamas, consider these actions to be “crimes against humanity,” with the United Nations also calling for an investigation into the matter.
Among the bodies recovered are those showing signs of execution or torture, with some possibly buried alive. Dr. Momahed al Mughair, responsible for the Civil Defense body, reports suspicions that some victims were moved and possibly mistreated by Israeli authorities. The bodies show signs of being dug up and relocated, with discrepancies in burial practices, leading to accusations of human rights violations.
The United Nations Secretary General and human rights organizations have called for investigations into the mass graves and the treatment of the victims. The situation in Gaza remains dire, with many bodies still under rubble and thousands of victims awaiting recovery. The international community demands access to Gaza for independent investigations, while Israel denies the accusations of misconduct.