Families search for missing loved ones following discovery of 283 bodies in Khan Younis mass grave

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has delivered a bleak update on the situation in Gaza, stating that no progress has been made towards a ceasefire deal and describing the humanitarian crisis in the enclave as a “catastrophe.”

The Palestinian Civil Defence has made a disturbing discovery, uncovering 283 bodies from a mass grave within the grounds of the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. This temporary burial site was used during a second siege by Israeli forces in March, which rendered the hospital inoperable.

Residents have been returning to the site in search of their loved ones’ bodies since the military withdrew from Khan Younis earlier this month. Heartbreakingly, many families have been unable to locate their missing relatives, including the mother of Jamal-Eddin Abu al-Ola, who has been searching for her son’s body for five days.

Meanwhile, at an EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg, Borrell painted a grim picture of the ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, stating that there is no prospect of a ceasefire and no easing of the humanitarian crisis. Ceasefire and prisoner exchange discussions in Cairo have yielded little progress, with Hamas rejecting an Israel-proposed ceasefire last week.

Israel’s priority remains the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, with efforts to establish a humanitarian pause proving unsuccessful since a November truce involving a prisoner exchange. The situation in Gaza remains dire, with no end in sight to the violence and suffering endured by its residents.