Gaza hospitals: EU calls for independent investigation into mass graves

The European Union announced on Wednesday through its representative that it wants to carry out an “independent” investigation following the discovery of mass graves at two main hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

“This is what leads us to call for an independent investigation into all the suspicions and circumstances” of this discovery, “as it gives the impression that human rights violations may have occurred,” an EU diplomatic spokesman said. , Peter Stano.

An investigation has already been requested by the UN

On Tuesday, the UN already called for an international investigation into mass graves discovered in two main hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he was “horrified” by the destruction of Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Chifa, and the second largest hospital facility in the Palestinian territory, the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younes. , “and the discovery of mass graves near these places.”

Israel denies responsibility for these discoveries

The Israeli army denies any responsibility. The claim that she “buried Palestinian bodies is unfounded,” she said.

A civil defense official in the Gaza Strip told AFP on Tuesday that its teams had found the bodies of about 340 people in mass graves on the grounds of Nasser Hospital since Saturday.

Hospitals were particularly hard hit

As for al-Shifa Hospital, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated in early April that the latest Israeli operation against it had reduced it to an “empty shell” littered with human remains.

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have come under brutal attack during a military operation carried out by the Israeli army in the Palestinian territory following a deadly attack in Israel on October 7 by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip.

According to Israel, the Palestinian Islamist movement used hospitals to carry out terrorist attacks, hide tunnels and hide weapons. Hamas has denied the accusations.