Near Gaza hospital

Mass grave already existed before the Gaza offensive

Image analyses indicate that the mass graves that have now been "discovered" already existed before the Israeli invasion.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

According to a media report, Israel cannot be responsible for the mass grave that was found on the grounds of a hospital in the Gaza Strip after the army withdrew from Khan Younis. Analysis of images is said to prove that the grave already existed before the Israeli offensive.

This was the result of the evaluation of satellite images and film material by unnamed independent analysts, reported the "Jerusalem Post" on Wednesday. The claims spread by Hamas and the Arab media that Israeli soldiers had buried the bodies of Palestinians in order to "hide" them were false, the newspaper wrote.

No independent verification possible so far
According to CNN, the Hamas-controlled Civil Defense claimed to have uncovered 324 bodies on the grounds of the Nasser Hospital after Israel's army withdrew from the site. The information cannot be independently verified.

During the fighting, many casualties had to be buried in safer places such as hospitals.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

Image analyses indicate that the mass graves that have now been "discovered" already existed before the Israeli invasion.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, had expressed his horror at the reports of the discovery of mass graves near hospitals in Gaza and called for an independent investigation into the background to the deaths. According to international humanitarian law, hospitals are entitled to very special protection. "And the deliberate killing of civilians, prisoners and other persons not engaged in combat is a war crime," it said. 

UN: "Don't know if they were buried alive"
According to Türk's office, which cited information from the Civil Defense, some bodies had their hands tied. "We don't know if they were buried alive or executed. Most of the bodies are decomposed," CNN quoted the head of civil defense in Khan Younis as saying.

UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk

(Bild: AP)

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the Israeli embassy in Geneva declared that the claim that Israeli forces had buried the bodies of Palestinians there was unfounded. They had merely exhumed bodies in the search for Israeli hostages and then put them back. The dignity of the deceased had been respected.