World bodies call for investigation into Nasser Hospital mass graves

The UN rights chief, Volker Turk said he was ‘horrified’ by Israel’s destruction of Nasser and Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza Strip and also recovery of 283 Palestinian bodies from mass graves in Nasser Hospital yards.

Civil Defense workers announced that most of the bodies retrieved from the mass graves belonged to women, children and the elderly people, a number of them blindfolded and handcuffed.

The mass graves, containing the patients and medical team at the hospital, were found after Israeli pull out from the southern Gaza Strip.

Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the incident indicates serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law stressing the need for further investigations.

Also, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the “horrific massacres” of Palestinians by Israel following the discovery of a mass grave in the courtyard of the Nasser Medical Complex in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The OIC said in its statement that it considers the mass grave as evidence of a "war crime, a crime against humanity, and organized state terrorism," adding that such mass murder "requires investigation, accountability and sanction under international criminal law."

"The OIC renewed its call on the international community, in particular the (UN) Security Council, on the need to stop the war crimes committed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip and to provide international protection for the Palestinian people,” it added.

At least 283 bodies have been recovered so far from the mass grave at Nasser Medical Complex after the Israeli army withdrew from the city on April 7 following a four-month ground offensive, according to Gaza's civil defense agency.

Under the pretext of fighting Hamas resistance movement, Israel has targeted the civilians in the besieged territory both by incessant bombings and imposing full blockade on nearly 2.3 million Palestinians.

At least 34,151 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 77,000 others injured since Israeli regime began its genocidal war against the besieged Gaza on October 7.