Israel digs Palestinian graves while searching for hostages held in Gaza
The bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes are buried in a mass grave in Khan Younis/Representative
Israeli forces severely damaged a cemetery in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, during operations earlier this week. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later clarified that the actions were part of a mission to search for hostages seized by Hamas during the October 7 attack in southern Israel.
Footage revealed the burial ground bulldozed, graves damaged, and human remains exposed after the IDF's operations.
Responding to concerns about damaged graves, the IDF said that rescuing hostages and locating their bodies is a key mission, with an assurance of a respectful identification process.
"The hostage identification process, conducted at a secure and alternative location, ensures optimal professional conditions and respect for the deceased," an IDF spokesperson was quoted as saying by CNN, adding that bodies that are determined not to be of hostages are "returned with dignity and respect".
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The IDF's admission to exhuming bodies has sparked outrage on social media, with reports circulating widely. Israel claims 253 people were taken hostage during the Hamas attack, with 132 believed to be still in Gaza.
How exactly were cemeteries in Khan Younis damaged?
An image from Maxar on January 15 showed the cemetery undisturbed, indicating the damage occurred between then and the IDF's operation on January 17.
The military operation took place in the cemetery area, including Al Nasser Hospital and a Jordanian field hospital, a CNN report said while citingwitness accounts.
Also watch |Israel-Hamas war: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says he rejects creation of a Palestinian state
Nearly 7,000 people are seeking refuge at the Al Nasser compound, according to the World Health Organization.
The IDF, citing a recent Hamas launch from the hospital compound, stated its forces were operating to locate and dismantle terror infrastructure.
The Jordanian Armed Forces reported severe material damage to their field hospital near the cemetery due to continuous Israeli bombardment.
The United Nations says the war has displaced roughly 85 per cent of Gaza's 2.4 million people.
Israel has vowed to "annihilate" Hamas and its offensive has killed at least 24,620 Palestinians, around 70 per cent of them women, children, and adolescents, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.
(With inputs from agencies)