Nearly 400 decomposing bodies uncovered in Khan Younis Nasser Hospital

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
25 Apr 2024 17:32
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Harrowing scenes continue to come out of the Nasser Medical Complex where authorities uncover dozens of bodies a day from mass graves.

Civil Defense teams uncover 51 more bodies on Wednesday from a mass grave at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, on April 24, 2024. Civil Defense workers continue to uncover more decomposing bodies in the medical facility following the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the area. (Anadolu Agency)

At least 392 decomposing bodies have been uncovered so far from the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis by the Civil Defense in Gaza and locals aiding rescue workers, following Israeli occupation forces (IOF) withdrawal from the medical facility which they invaded at an earlier time.

As authorities continue to work on recovering the bodies of Palestinians who were killed during the siege of the hospital and its subsequent invasion by the Israeli military, the death toll increases by the day, unveiling the harrowing crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces in the medical facility.

Due to the decomposed nature of the bodies and the difficult circumstances experienced by both Palestinian authorities and citizens alike, 58% of the uncovered bodies are yet to be accurately identified, the Civil Defense said on Thursday.

Many of the recently dug-up bodies were evidently children's.

"We do not know the reason as to why bodies of children were present in the Nasser Hospital," authorities said, adding that there were clear signs of torture on several of the bodies.

The Civil Defense said that the occupation's military committed multiple field executions in the hospital, demanding that an international investigation be launched into the blatant war crimes.

Moreover, the occupation's troops buried a number of bodies in large plastic body bags at a depth of 3 meters, which facilitated their decomposition. Authorities also revealed that the occupation reverted to atrocious practices by burying at least 20 people alive in the medical facility.

Israeli occupation forces also attempted to hide the evidence of their crimes by exchanging the body bags of certain bodies, as seen in several instances by authorities.

This is not the first time that authorities have uncovered mass graves in hospitals in the Gaza Strip following the conclusion of raids into hospitals. In fact, the occupation itself has admitted to executing dozens of Palestinians in the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City at a previous time.

'Israel' crosses all red lines, works on dismantling Gaza's health sector

The Israeli occupation has made Gaza's medical facilities a main target of its war on the besieged territory, which goes in line with its policy of destroying the essentials of life in the Gaza Strip.

Almost every hospital or medical center in the Gaza Strip has come under direct attack by occupation forces, however, international organizations and states stand idly by, incapable of holding "Israel" accountable for its deliberate destruction of internationally protected places and individuals, i.e. hospitals, medical staff, patients, and refugees.

Growing calls for an independent investigation from states such as South Africa and even allies of the Israeli government have emerged as a result of the harrowing scenes being unraveled in Gaza.

Yet, only a few countries have taken direct action that equates to the level of crimes committed by the Israeli occupation in Palestine, while the majority of the Western-led world order has continued its backing for the Israeli occupation. This has raised serious questions regarding the effectiveness and impartiality of the international legal system and the work of multiple international and humanitarian organizations, which have failed to live up to their duties in stopping the blatant genocide of Palestinians.