GAZA CITY – Israeli occupational forces have destroyed and damaged more than 2,000 graves in different areas of Gaza with war raging in most of the occupied Palestinian territory.
Reports suggest bodies of Palestinians were dug up by the Israeli soldiers during what they called an operation to find bodies of the Israeli hostages.
The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs of Palestine in Gaza said over 2,000 graves were damaged or destroyed by Israeli forces across the territory, calling it desecration of the dead.
The Israeli military told international media that it is not targeting cemeteries but at the same time admitted that bodies were dug up in specific areas when it received information about the presence of bodies of the hostages.
“Bodies determined not [to] be those of hostages are returned with dignity and respect,” it said in a statement.
The ongoing conflict broke out following Hamas’s October 7 attacks in southern Israel in which several people were killed. Hamas also held some 250 people hostages.
The Hamas move led to massive military operation by Israel that has killed over 26,000 people, most of them women and children, in Gaza.
ICJ orders Israel to ensure acts of genocide are not committed in Gaza
