2024-01-20 11:48:00
Israeli forces have desecrated at least 16 cemeteries in Gaza, satellite images reveal
The Israeli military has desecrated at least 16 cemeteries in its ground offensive in Gaza, a CNN investigation has found, leaving ruined tombstones, disturbed earth and, in some cases, unearthed bodies.
In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where fighting intensified earlier this week, Israeli forces destroyed a cemetery and removed bodies in what the Israel Defense Forces told CNN was part of a search of the remains of hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 terrorist attacks.
CNN examined satellite images and social media images showing the destruction of cemeteries and witnessed it firsthand while traveling with the IDF in a convoy. Taken together, the evidence reveals a systematic practice in which Israeli ground forces have advanced throughout Gaza.
The intentional destruction of religious sites, such as cemeteries, violates international law except in very limited circumstances related to the site becoming a military target, and legal experts told CNN that Israel’s actions might constitute war crimes.
An IDF spokesperson might not explain the destruction of the 16 cemeteries for which CNN provided coordinates, but said the military sometimes has “no choice” but to attack cemeteries it claims Hamas uses for military purposes.
The IDF stated that rescuing hostages and finding and returning their bodies is one of its key missions in Gaza, which is why bodies were removed from some graves.
“The hostage identification process, carried out in a safe and alternative location, ensures optimal professional conditions and respect for the deceased,” an IDF spokesperson told CNN, adding that the bodies determined not to be hostages they are “returned with dignity and respect.”
But in other cases, the Israeli military appears to have used cemeteries as military outposts. CNN’s analysis of satellite images and videos showed that Israeli bulldozers turned several cemeteries into positions, leveling large swaths and erecting berms to fortify their positions.
In the Shajaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, Israeli military vehicles might be seen where the cemetery used to be, with berms surrounding them on all sides. The central part of the Shajaiya cemetery had been cleared before the war, local media reported. But satellite images showed that other parts had been razed more recently, and that the IDF presence was visible as early as December 10.
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