The UN has called for an “independent, effective and transparent investigation” into the discovery of mass graves at two Gaza hospital complexes after they were surrounded and raided by Israeli troops earlier this year.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said he was “horrified” by the scenes reported at the Nasser and Al-Shifa compounds.
“Given the prevailing climate of impunity, this must include international investigators,” Turk said on Tuesday (23).
“Hospitals are entitled to very special protection under international humanitarian law. And the intentional killing of civilians, detainees and others who are out of combat is a war crime.”
A mass grave with more than 300 bodies was discovered this week at the Nasser Medical Complex in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis by Gaza Civil Defense workers following the departure of Israeli forces from the area.
In early April, health workers exhumed corpses from mass graves in Al-Shifa after they said Israeli forces had killed hundreds of Palestinians and left their bodies to decompose during the two-week siege of the compound in northern Gaza.
At Al-shifa hospital, at least 381 bodies were recovered after Israeli forces withdrew on April 1, according to Gaza Civil Defense.
The US State Department expressed concern on Tuesday about the “troubling” discovery of mass graves.
“The reports are incredibly worrying. And we are investigating this with the Government of Israel,” said US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.
Source: CNN Brasil
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