Israel Dismisses US Call to Investigate Mass Grave Discovered at Gaza Hospital

Nearly 400 bodies were found at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis

by Dave DeCamp April 28, 2024

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/04/28/israel-dismisses-us-call-to-investigate-mass-grave-discovered-at-gaza-hospital/

Israel has rejected a US call for an investigation into a mass grave that was discovered at Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

US officials have said they want Israel to investigate the situation itself and has not backed international calls for an independent investigation. When asked by POLITICO if Israel would conduct an investigation, Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said, “Investigate what?”

Shoshani said the military had already cleared itself of any wrongdoing. “We gave answers. We don’t bury people in mass graves. Not something we do,” he said.

Israel’s story is that a mass grave was already there when its troops showed up and that its forces dug up the bodies to look for Israeli hostages, then returned them to the ground. But Gaza’s Civil Defense agency said only about 100 people were buried at the hospital before the Israeli raid, and a total of 392 bodies have been discovered.

Gaza’s Civil Defense said some children were found in the mass grave, some bodies had their hands in restraints, and there were signs of torture.

“There are indications of carrying out field executions against some of the victims, while the bodies of other victims carried signs of torture and others were buried alive,” said Abu Sulaiman, the head of Gaza’s Civil Defense.

The UN has backed the Palestinian call for an independent investigation into the mass grave. “Given the prevailing climate of impunity, this should include international investigators,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. “Hospitals are entitled to very special protection under international humanitarian law. And the intentional killing of civilians, detainees, and others who are hors de combat is a war crime.”