The recent discovery of a mass grave at Nasser Hospital in Gaza City has shocked the international community, coming just two weeks after a similar mass grave was found at Al-Shifa Hospital. Reports from the U.N. High Commission for Human Rights suggest that some bodies found in the mass grave had their hands tied and were stripped of their clothes.
While the reports from Gazan authorities could not be independently verified, a video posted on social media by photographer Haseeb Alwazeer showed at least one body wearing blue medical scrubs with bound hands. The grim discovery has raised concerns about potential human rights violations during the Israeli raid on the hospital.
Doctors at the hospital and the Gazan Health Ministry have claimed that some individuals trying to flee the Nasser compound were shot at by Israeli soldiers, resulting in casualties. The Israeli military has stated that it provided a secure route for civilians to evacuate the area but did not address reports of shooting at Palestinians attempting to leave the hospital.
Amnesty International has called for immediate access to Gaza for human rights investigators and forensic experts to preserve evidence of the mass graves. Erika Guevara Rosas, the organization’s senior director of research and advocacy, emphasized the importance of holding those responsible for any violations of international law accountable.
The withdrawal of Israeli forces from Nasser hospital in late February allowed Palestinian emergency services and families to search for missing loved ones. Jihad al-Bayouk, who lost his older brother in an Israeli drone strike, shared his emotional journey of searching for and finally finding his brother’s body in the mass grave.
As the investigation into the mass grave at Nasser Hospital continues, the international community awaits answers and justice for the victims of this tragic event.
