EU calls for independent investigation into mass graves discovered

The European Union announced Wednesday through a spokesperson that it wanted an investigation “independent” after the discovery of mass graves in the two main hospitals in the Gaza Strip. “This is something that compels us to call for an independent investigation into all suspicions and circumstances” of this discovery, “because it creates the impression that there could be human rights violations”declared a spokesperson for the EU diplomatic service, Peter Stano.

The UN had already called on Tuesday for an international investigation into mass graves discovered in the two main hospitals in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said “horrified” by the destruction of the largest hospital in Gaza, al-Shifa, and the second largest hospital in the Palestinian territory, the Nasser medical complex in Khan Younes, “and by the discovery of mass graves near these places”. The Israeli army has denied any responsibility. The assertion that she “allegedly burying the Palestinian bodies is baseless”she indicated.

Hospitals hit hard

A Civil Defense official in the Gaza Strip told AFP on Tuesday that his teams had discovered the bodies of around 340 people in mass graves on the grounds of the Nasser hospital since Saturday. As for the al-Shifa hospital, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated in early April that it had been reduced to a “empty shell” littered with human remains from the latest Israeli operation against him.

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have been harshly targeted during the military operation carried out by the Israeli army in the Palestinian territory since the deadly attack perpetrated in Israel on October 7 by Hamas fighters from Gaza. According to Israel, the Palestinian Islamist movement used hospitals to carry out attacks, hide tunnels and hide weapons. Hamas has denied these accusations.