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 besieged and raided by Israeli troops earlier this year.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said he was “horrified” by the scenes reported at the Nasser and Al-Shifa complexes.
“Given the prevailing climate of impunity, this should include international investigators,” Turk said Tuesday.
“Hospitals are entitled to very special protection under international humanitarian law. And the intentional killing of civilians, detainees, and others who are hors de combat is a war crime.”
A mass grave with 324 bodies was uncovered this week at the Nasser Medical Complex in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis by Gaza Civil Defense workers following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area.
Earlier in April, health workers exhumed corpses from mass graves at Al-Shifa after they said Israeli forces killed hundreds of Palestinians and left their bodies to decompose during their two-week siege of the complex in northern Gaza.
At least 381 bodies were recovered from Al-Shifa after Israeli forces withdrew on April 1, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.
The US State Department on Tuesday expressed concern over the “troubling” discovery of mass graves.
The “reports are incredibly troubling. And we’re inquiring on this with the Government of Israel,” US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
