War crime concerns grow after discovery of another mass grave in Gaza hospital

Concerns of potential war crimes have been raised after the discovery of a third mass grave in the remains of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza which has been under the Israeli bombardment since October last year.

The graves were found to contain bodies without heads following the Israeli military siege on the Gaza hospitals.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas called the discovery of the new mass grave further proof of the Israeli occupation army's brutality towards Palestinians and the medical field, according to a statement released on Wednesday.

The statement added that the Israeli occupation is undermining the livelihoods of Gaza residents to carry out its agenda of elimination and displacement.

It also demanded the opening of an independent international investigation into the crimes against humanity committed by the occupying entity against medical staff, the wounded, the sick, the displaced, and civilians in general.

At least 49 bodies were discovered by health workers at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Wednesday, according to a medical official and Gaza authorities. This marks the latest finding at the facility, which had been previously raided by Israeli forces.

Seven mass graves have been uncovered across the Gaza Strip during the Israeli war launched in October last year, with three in Al-Shifa Hospital, three in Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, and one in Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.

“We hold the US administration, the international community and the occupation fully responsible for these mass graves and this blatant aggression,” Gaza’s media office said.

“At least 520 bodies have been exhumed from the seven mass graves,” it added.

It said 400 people were killed by Israeli forces in al-Shifa, including "wounded, sick, and displaced people and hundreds of people were still missing.

Another mass grave uncovered in Gaza, bodies ‘without heads’ found

Palestinian medical teams recovered 49 bodies from the mass grave at Shifa Hospital.

The United Nations called for an investigation late last month after the first mass graves were discovered in Gaza as they contained some people stripped naked with their hands tied, further raising concerns over potential war crimes. The UN described the bodies as “buried deep in the ground and covered with waste.”

Exclusive: Inside story of mass graves at Al-Shifa and Al-Nasser hospitals in Gaza

The mass graves are only part of the gruesome series of massacres but should be a turning point due to the sheer scale of murdered and mutilated bodies found, they state.

Israeli forces had placed hospitals under siege for several days, claiming that resistance fighters were using them as bases. However, no evidence supporting the allegations has been found.

The Al-Shifa hospital, which was severely damaged during two weeks of intense fighting in March, now lies in ruins. Motassem Salah, the head of the emergency department at al-Shifa, revealed that some of the bodies had decomposed.

Earlier, Gaza's government media office said 400 people were killed by Israeli forces in al-Shifa, including "wounded, sick, and displaced people and hundreds of people were still missing.

At least 34,844 Palestinians have been killed and 78,404 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7.

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