In Khan Younes, located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, a mass grave was discovered by Gaza Civil Defense on Sunday. Dozens of bodies were found buried in the courtyard of a hospital, including at least 50 individuals. Some of the bodies showed signs of torture and mistreatment as they were stripped of their clothes.
The Israeli army has stated that they are verifying these claims. The Israeli Prime Minister had vowed to increase pressure on Palestinian Hamas just days before the discovery was made. Images from AFP show Gazans gathered at the site, searching for missing relatives. One woman, Oum Mohammed al-Harazeen, stated that her husband went missing when the Israeli army entered Khan Younes.
The Israeli army withdrew from the town on April 7 after conducting a “precise and limited operation” in the hospital. The discovery of the mass grave is particularly troubling as the United States, a strong ally of Israel, recently approved $13 billion in military aid for the country. Hamas, which has been in power in Gaza since 2007, sees this as a signal that Israel has the support to continue its actions against the Palestinians.
