Israeli forces severely damaged a cemetery in Khan Younis in southern Gaza earlier this week, exhuming and removing bodies. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN that the action is part of a search for the remains of hostages seized by Hamas during the October 7 terrorist attacks.
Images of the cemetery showed the area demolished, with graves damaged and destroyed, and human remains left exposed after the IDF conducted operations in the area.
In response to CNN's request for comment on the damage to the graves, the IDF responded on Thursday (18) that rescuing the hostages and finding and returning their bodies is one of its main missions in Gaza, which is why the bodies were removed.
“The hostage identification process, conducted in a safe and alternative location, guarantees optimal professional conditions and respect for the deceased,” an IDF spokesperson told CNN, adding that the bodies that are determined not to be those of hostages are “ returned with dignity and respect.”
Under international law, an intentional attack on a cemetery may constitute a war crime, except in very limited circumstances relating to the possibility of that site becoming a military objective.
Reports about the IDF removing bodies from graves have been circulating on social media, shared by people outraged by the practice. This is the first time that Israel has admitted exhumations.
Source: CNN Brasil

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