UN Officials Urge Investigation into Allegations of Mass Graves Found at Gaza Hospitals

In a shocking development, senior UN officials have called for an investigation into reports of mass graves being unearthed at two hospitals in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, expressed horror at the destruction at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis and al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, calling for an independent probe into the deaths of the individuals found there.

The situation escalated when Hamas officials claimed that 283 bodies, including women and the elderly, had been recovered at Nasser hospital over the past three days. They accused Israeli forces of deliberately burying the bodies deep in the sand to hide them. The IDF, however, denied these claims, stating that they had only examined bodies buried by Palestinians in their search for hostages captured by Hamas.

The reports of mass graves have raised concerns globally, with the UN Secretary-General’s spokesman calling for a credible and independent investigation into the matter. The situation in Gaza has already been dire, with over 34,000 people killed by Israel’s offensive, according to Palestinian officials. The conflict has displaced 1.7 million out of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe in the region.

The raids on hospitals by the IDF have further exacerbated the situation, destroying much of the enclave’s health infrastructure and leaving a significant portion of the population without access to medical care. The UN reports that only 11 out of the 36 hospitals that existed in Gaza before the conflict are still partially operational, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian aid in the region.