Israeli military desecrated at least 16 cemeteries in Gaza, leaving ruined tombstones and disturbed earth, CNN investigation finds
CNN’s investigation has revealed that the Israeli military has destroyed at least 16 cemeteries in its ground offensive in Gaza. The destruction has left ruined tombstones, disturbed earth, and in some cases, unearthed bodies.
In Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, Israeli forces destroyed a cemetery and removed bodies as part of a search for the remains of hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 terrorist attacks. CNN examined satellite images and social media photos showing the destruction of cemeteries, as well as witnessed it firsthand while traveling with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a convoy.
According to legal experts, the intentional destruction of religious sites, such as cemeteries, violates international law and could constitute war crimes. Despite providing coordinates for the 16 destroyed cemeteries, the IDF has been unable to explain the destruction but claimed that attacking cemeteries Hamas uses for military purposes is sometimes necessary.
The IDF stated that the identification and rescue of hostages was a key mission in Gaza, which is why bodies were removed from some graves. However, it’s evident that the Israeli military has used cemeteries as military outposts, deploying armored vehicles to fortify their positions.
As the death toll in Gaza continues to rise, with more than 24,000 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks, the destruction of cemeteries has drawn concerns from human rights experts and international legal scholars. The deliberate desecration of cemeteries is a clear violation of international law and is considered a war crime, according to Muna Haddad, a human rights lawyer and researcher on the treatment of the dead.
Although Israel has respected the cemeteries where fallen soldiers from the First and Second World Wars are buried, it is still raised questions about Israel’s actions in destroying cemeteries and failing to respect the sanctity of graves of Palestinians.
Overall, the destruction of cemeteries in Gaza by the Israeli military has raised questions about potential war crimes and the violation of international law. While the Israeli military claims the destruction is necessary for strategic purposes, legal experts and human rights organizations argue that the intentional desecration of cemeteries in Gaza constitutes egregious violations of international law and norms.