By Aseel Al-Akhras
GAZA, Wednesday, April 24, 2024 (WAFA) – As soon as the Israeli occupation army withdraws from an area in Gaza, its atrocities are laid bare. Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza last October, numerous mass graves have been unearthed.
The latest revelations include three mass graves in the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza. From these graves, 310 bodies have been recovered so far, amidst reports of the disappearance of nearly 2,000 citizens and expectations of 700 more bodies buried in the three graves.
Most of these mass graves were found within hospitals raided by the occupation forces, containing the bodies of mostly women and children. Some were found bound and blindfolded, raising fears of organ theft and the use of previously unknown weapons, prompting the question: what is the world waiting for to condemn the Israeli occupation of committing the crime of genocide?
The atrocities of the occupation have occurred throughout its decades-long presence, transitioning from ethnic cleansing wars against Palestinian civilians before and during the 1948 Nakba, through massacres like Tantura and Deir Yassin, to committing crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza, the latest being in Khan Yunis, all aiming to eradicate Palestinian presence.
The Tantura massacre in May 1948, executed by the Zionist Haganah militias, resulted in the martyrdom of nearly 280 Palestinians, mostly men, buried in mass graves. The village was then razed, and the survivors were expelled.
In May 2023, after nearly 75 years, the details of the massacre emerged. An investigation conducted by the British research agency Forensic Architecture, lasting 18 months, uncovered four mass grave sites in Tantura, including one beneath a beach parking lot, another beneath a pedestrian walkway in the tourist village, a third near the house of Haj Yahya, and the last one within the historic Islamic cemetery of the village.
Speaking to WAFA, Palestinian Minister of Justice Shurahbil al-Za'im stated that Israel committed all internationally prohibited crimes in Gaza, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. He pointed out that the mass serve as evidence of its genocide crime according to the 1948 Genocide Convention and international humanitarian law, which ensures the respectful and proper handling of bodies during armed conflicts.
Regarding the necessary Palestinian and international legal procedures to prosecute Israel for its violations of international humanitarian law, he demanded the International Criminal Court Prosecutor to investigate the existence of mass graves in Gaza, activating universal jurisdiction before all international courts.
Al-Za'im stressed the importance of forensic medical reports to document each incident of using internationally criminal weapons or killing civilians, stealing organs, or targeting civilian property, serving as undeniable evidence before international justice.
He called on human rights, legal, and journalistic institutions to document all of the occupation's crimes in Gaza legally, supported by testimonies, and UN reports, which could be relied upon in future legal actions against Israel. He affirmed that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide do not expire, and perpetrators of such crimes can be brought to justice anytime.
Meantime, Shawan Jabarin, Director-General of Al-Haq Foundation, who also spoke to WAFA, stated that the mass graves uncovered in Gaza are evidence of the occupation's genocide and crimes against humanity against civilians.
He emphasized that the world has never witnessed anything like what's happening in Gaza, which necessitates the pursuit of its perpetrators, including occupation soldiers, officers, and Israeli officials.
Jabarin highlighted that the crimes of the occupation against the Palestinian people didn't start last October 7th but have been ongoing for 100 years of conflict, whether in Deir Yassin, Tantura, or other villages and cities witnessing the occupation's crimes. He warned that what remains hidden may be greater than what has been discovered.
He called for revealing the fate of thousands of missing citizens and workers since last October 7th, stressing the need to identify the locations of mass graves to remain witnesses to the genocide. He reiterated that Palestine and the free world await the International Court of Justice's decision on the genocide case.
Jabarin noted that the international legal system is facing a test regarding the Gaza genocide, and the blood of Gaza's children and innocents will haunt the occupation army and all Israeli officials.
Discovery of mass graves in Gaza's hospitals sends shockwaves worldwide
The discovery of mass graves in Gaza's hospitals has sent shockwaves not only across the region but also globally, sparking calls for an international investigation and accountability for those responsible.
The reports surrounding the mass graves at Al-Shifa Medical Complex and Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza have elicited reactions from Arab and international communities, with demands for an independent inquiry.
The United Nations Human Rights Office called for an international investigation into the mass graves found in these medical facilities, emphasizing the necessity of independent, effective, and transparent investigations.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, described the devastation inflicted upon Al-Shifa, Gaza's largest hospital, and Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis as "horrific."
He stressed the urgency of involving international investigators in these processes, highlighting that the killing of civilians, detainees, and others constitutes a war crime, with international humanitarian law providing specific protection for hospitals.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan also condemned the ongoing heinous war crimes committed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including the recent discovery of mass graves at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis.
The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its absolute condemnation of these acts, emphasizing that they flagrantly violate international law and humanitarian principles, constituting war crimes that must be addressed and those responsible held accountable.
Similarly, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia denounced the Israeli occupation forces' continued commission of grave war crimes in Gaza, including the discovery of mass graves.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for the international community to fulfill its responsibility to halt the Israeli assaults on civilians in Gaza and hold them accountable for the massacres committed.
The uncovering of mass graves in Khan Yunis is not an isolated incident. Medical sources recently announced the retrieval of 300 bodies during an incursion in mid-March, buried in two cemeteries at Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City.
These bodies were discovered days after specialized government teams conducted extensive searches for the victims, whom the Israeli army deliberately concealed and buried deeply under sand and debris within Al-Shifa Medical Complex, highlighting heinous crimes against humanity.
Moreover, doctors at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, reported in February that Israeli forces, during an incursion, dug up graves, pulled out bodies, and crushed them with bulldozers.
In another instance, a mass grave containing the bodies of 30 individuals, bound and blindfolded, was discovered in a school in Beit Lahia in January, indicating their abduction and subsequent extrajudicial execution.
According to preliminary statistics, since the Israeli onslaught began on October 7th, more than 34,262 civilians have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza, including over 9,752 women, 14,778 children, 485 medical personnel, 170 journalists, and 67 civil defense personnel. Additionally, 30 children have died due to starvation.
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