The UN’s human rights chief has mentioned he’s “horrified” by studies of mass graves containing a whole lot of our bodies in Gaza.
Palestinian authorities mentioned they had been uncovered at Nasser hospital within the central metropolis of Khan Younis, and at al Shifa hospital in Gaza Metropolis.
Some had their palms tied and had been “stripped of their garments”, mentioned Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for UN human rights commissioner Volker Turk.
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“The intentional killing of civilians, detainees and others who’re hors de fight [not participating in hostilities] is a warfare crime,” mentioned Mr Turk in a press release.
Greater than 300 our bodies had been discovered at one grave at Nasser, in keeping with the Palestinian well being ministry, with two extra websites discovered however not but excavated.
Some had been allegedly older folks, girls, and the wounded, the UN mentioned.
A 14-year-old boy, whose household was killed in airstrikes, mentioned he discovered his mom’s physique on the Nasser web site.
He buried her yesterday however remains to be on the lookout for his sister, father and his cousin.
“They hit us close to the Qadissiyah monument, in Abraj Taiba,” Moayed Suleiman Mahmoud Mustafa instructed Sky Information.
“Two F-16 missiles hit us, and my whole household died, nobody stays aside from me.”
“So, I got here right here to search for them. I solely discovered my mom, we buried her yesterday. I’m now on the lookout for my sister, my father and my cousin.”
“Remedy this problem with the world, resolve it with the [Israelis], we would like an answer, we need to relaxation. We do not need to be residing like that, we need to dwell,” he added.
The mass graves had been discovered after Israeli troops left, however its navy mentioned claims they’d buried the our bodies had been “baseless and unfounded”.
A Sky Information group on the web site has additionally not heard any accounts of our bodies being discovered tied up.
Israel‘s navy mentioned it had discovered and examined our bodies beforehand buried by Palestinians close to Nasser hospital whereas checking to see if any of its hostages had been among the many {dead}.
“The examination was carried out in a cautious method and completely in locations the place intelligence indicated the potential presence of hostages,” a press release mentioned.
“The examination was carried out respectfully whereas sustaining the dignity of the deceased.”
Palestinians sit in rubble of a constructing in northern Gaza. Pic: Reuters
Thirty extra our bodies had been reportedly present in two graves within the courtyard at al Shifa hospital, Ms Shamdasani added.
“There are studies that the palms of a few of these our bodies had been additionally tied,” she mentioned.
The UN mentioned al Shifa – Gaza‘s largest hospital – had been lowered to “an empty shell” following Israeli offensives on the web site.
Israel has mentioned Hamas militants had been based mostly there, hiding out in a community of underground tunnels.
It mentioned “about 200 terrorists” had been additionally “apprehended” at Nasser hospital – however that it acted in a “focused method and with out harming the hospital, the sufferers and the medical employees”.
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This picture seems to point out tents being constructed close to Khan Younis. Pic Planet Labs/AP
Israel is constant its operation to destroy Hamas after the group killed about 1,200 folks and took others hostage in October final 12 months.
On Tuesday, Israel ordered new evacuations in a “harmful fight zone” in northern Gaza.
A military spokesperson mentioned folks had been being urged to flee from the Beit Lahia space within the territory’s northeast.
The world lies a brief distance from Beit Hanoun metropolis, the place Israeli tanks made a brand new incursion in a single day.
There have been additionally studies of shelling within the close by metropolis of Jabalia and district of Zeitoun.
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In the meantime, satellite tv for pc photographs seem to point out a compound of tents being put up close to Khan Younis amid fears about an Israeli assault on the southern metropolis of Rafah, about 5 miles (8km) away.
Town has swelled throughout the war to round 1.2 million because of folks fleeing from the north.
Israel has mentioned it’s going to evacuate folks from Rafah throughout any offensive, however UN human rights chief Mr Turk warned it might nonetheless result in “additional atrocity crimes”.