Aerial images of satellite surveillance revealed that the Israeli army is digging more than 15 cemeteries in the Gaza Strip, specifically in the southern part near Khan Yunis, an area that has been subjected to intense Israeli shelling after the military operations shifted from the northern to the southern part of the Strip. It appears that Israel is using at least one cemetery as a temporary base for its military vehicles, according to the New York Times, which obtained aerial images. CNN also confirmed Israel’s destruction of cemeteries.
The excavation and digging of graves are not limited to southern Gaza, but also extend to the cemeteries in the northern part of the Strip. It even includes recent mass graves that Palestinians in Gaza were forced to establish due to the staggering number of casualties, which has exceeded 25,000 since October 7.
Why Are the Graves Being Excavated?
“We dig graves because Hamas uses them as military bases to launch rockets,” and “we are searching for the remains of Israeli prisoners” are justifications provided by the Israeli army for digging graves in Gaza and extracting bodies from them, according to a spokesperson for the Israeli army speaking to CNN. This narrative is consistent with previous Israeli claims, which are used to justify the destruction of Gaza and the displacement of its residents.
While the number of hostages held by Hamas is unclear and has not been officially announced, the military spokesperson for the Al Qassam Brigades, Abu Obaida, announced that they lost 60 hostages due to Israeli airstrikes, with 23 still missing or under the rubble. Due to the tension in the streets of Israel, especially among the families of prisoners who invade ministerial meetings and protest in the streets, the Israeli government had to convince them that they are trying to “save their families” in various ways.
The cemeteries that Israel has excavated include the Al Fallujah Cemetery in the northern part of the Strip as well as the cemeteries of Ali bin Marwan, Sheikh Radwan, Martyrs, Sheikh Shaaban, in addition to the Cemetery of the Church of St. Porphyrus in Gaza City and the Martyrs’ Cemetery in the northern town of Beit Lahia, according to field documentation by the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. Most of them are not recent or collective graves created as a result of war. Even if they are collective graves, international law prohibits their excavation and the extraction of bodies.
The last cemetery excavated by Israel and whose bodies and remains were confiscated is the Al Batsh Cemetery, established on October 22, 2023, in the Shujaiya neighborhood, following the massacres that took place there. Dozens of unidentified victims remained in the Shifa Medical Complex for several days after the Israeli forces took control of it and took it out of service. Also, due to the imposed blockade and ongoing battles in northern Gaza, the families of the victims could not reach them.
Satellite images also indicate that the Israeli army has turned cemeteries into military bases, which is considered a violation of the sanctity of the dead. During armed conflicts, bodies should be protected, and Israel violates international law, which states in Rule 113 that “each party to the conflict must take all possible measures to prevent the dead from being despoiled and prohibit the mutilation of their bodies.”
South African lawyers have included images in their indictment against Israel before the International Criminal Court, showing Israel’s destruction of cemeteries and theft of bodies, as part of its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The current excavation of graves adds to Israel’s record of violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which it did not originally sign. The convention calls on fighters to respect the dignity of the dead, including preventing looting, mutilation, or any degrading treatment of their bodies.
Accusations of “Organ Theft”
This is not the first time Israel has deliberately destroyed Palestinian cemeteries; on the contrary, it has a history of doing so. It is not limited to the current war on Gaza, which began after the Al Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, 2023. For example, Israel destroyed one of the largest cemeteries in East Jerusalem, the Ma’man Allah Cemetery, and incorporated it into its settlements after the Nakba of 1948, later turning it into an Independence Garden and renaming it Mamilla.
In 2009, accusations were also leveled against Israel of “stealing bodies to take their organs,” a matter discussed by the Palestinian Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, Issa Qaraqe, in the Knesset at the time. He emphasized that Israel refused to return the bodies of Palestinians who fell in battles, a charge that the Israeli government categorically denied.
In the current war on Gaza, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor expressed concerns about the possibility of stealing organs from Palestinian bodies, following reports from doctors in Gaza who examined some bodies after Israel released them. However, there is no clear evidence of this so far.
The accusation of organ theft dates back to the 1990s when some Israeli doctors admitted to “stealing organs from dead Palestinian bodies and using them in university laboratories.” This was mentioned in the book “Over Their Dead Bodies” by Israeli physician Mira Weiss, which referred to this practice between 1996 and 2002.
These operations were carried out illegally, without obtaining permission from the families of the victims, making it an illegal act and sometimes considered human trafficking. The Israeli side did not deny taking organs but claimed they took this step with the consent of the victims’ families, according to The Guardian.
Israel continues to ignore international laws, finding no one to hold it accountable or deter it, especially in the current war on Gaza, which surpasses the catastrophe of 1948 in terms of displaced people and casualties. Palestinians were forced to leave their homes, with some now living in renewable residences provided by the Israeli government, while others are refugees waiting for the dream of return.
