UN and EU Call for Probe Into Mass Graves at Gaza Hospitals
The United Nations and European Union on Tuesday both called for an investigation of the mass graves recently discovered at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis.
The discovery of the makeshift burial sites prompted a statement from Volker Türk, the UN’s top human rights official, on Tuesday morning expressing deep concern about the graves and the damage to the facilities during the conflict.
that hospitals receive “very special protections” under international law and noted that intentionally killing civilians, detainees, and others who are ‘hors de combat’ (incapable of engaging in combat) constitutes a war crime.
Speaking to the press later that day, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric followed up on Türk’s statement by calling for a team of international experts to conduct an inquiry into the situation.
EU spokesperson Peter Stano also demanded an independent investigation, suggesting that “the suspicions and all the circumstances” could point to “violations of international human rights.”
The Israeli military also issued a statement, claiming that the bodies were exhumed and examined during the search for deceased Israeli hostages taken on October 7, and were then respectfully reburied.
Earlier this month, the Israeli military conducted a “limited operation” at Shifa Hospital, claiming to have eliminated or captured hundreds of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters stationed within the complex.
It remains unclear which UN agency or international organization will conduct the investigation. However, after visiting Israel and the West Bank in December, International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan declared investigating potential crimes by Hamas, PIJ, and Israeli forces a priority for his office.
