Random Mass Graves in Gaza

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Random Mass Graves in Gaza

Children, women, and the elderly have become the main targets of the savage strikes carried out by the brutal Zionist occupation nearly a year into the conflict, which has resulted in some of the most horrifying mass killings of Gazans. The practice of interring loved ones in makeshift, haphazard mass graves has been adopted by thousands of families, and is currently a common occurrence. As long as the Israeli occupation army targets people trying to access to the graves to bury their relatives, the situation will only become worse.

Since many of these mass graves are inside private residences or properties and some are periodically moved, the majority of them are still unreported. Because of this, the quantity and locations of these tombs are ever-changing. In addition, the Israeli army routinely destroys both official and unofficial graves with a bulldozer, desecrating the remains and even taking some of them, which is a major transgression of both international law and fundamental human decency.

An infographic from the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described about thirty mass graves in northern, central, and southern Gaza that housed almost three thousand martyrs. This illustrates the scenario in Gaza, but since October 2023, over 120 haphazard mass graves have been dug in which three or more people have been buried together. The "Al-Batsh Cemetery" in the Al-Tuffah area, east of Gaza City, is the largest mass grave that has been officially documented. Since its inception on October 22, 2023, just two weeks after the military assault on Gaza began, between 500 and 1,000 victims have been buried there.

The Euro-Mediterranean Monitor has documented 28 random mass graves in different governorates of Gaza, as follows:

North Gaza Governorate:

A mass grave in the Al-Awda public market next to the police station in Jabalia refugee camp, established on December 5, 2023, containing around 120 bodies.
A mass grave next to the Indonesian Hospital in Tel al-Zaatar, north of Jabalia refugee camp, established on November 18, 2023, containing around 200 bodies.
A mass grave in Jabalia market, established on December 7, 2023, containing around 100 bodies.
A mass grave in the backyard of Jabalia Preparatory School (A) in Jabalia refugee camp, established on December 28, 2023, containing more than 55 bodies.
A mass grave in Al-Rifa’i School across from Al-Omari Registrar in central Jabalia town, containing more than 70 bodies.
A mass grave in Halima Al-Saadia School, south of Jabalia al-Nazla, containing more than 250 bodies, some of which are unidentified.
A mass grave in Al-Yemen Hospital, central Jabalia refugee camp, established on December 11, 2023, containing around 44 bodies.
A mass grave located on a traffic island along Sultan Street in Block 2 of Jabalia, established between November and December 2023.

Gaza City (Governorate):

A mass grave in the yard of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, established between November 12-14, 2023, containing around 179 bodies.
Al-Sabra Cemetery (1), established on November 25, 2023, containing more than 100 bodies.
A mass grave on Al-Istiqlal Street (Al-Qaws), near the Al-Sha'biyah intersection in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, containing more than 200 bodies.
Al-Sabra Cemetery (2), near Dahshan Street, established on December 31, 2023.
Al-Batsh Cemetery in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, eastern Gaza City, established on October 22, 2023, containing between 500 and 1,000 bodies.
A mass grave in the middle of Al-Sahaba Street, near the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Mosque in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, central Gaza, established in December 2023, containing 150 bodies.
A mass grave on Al-Sidra Street in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, central Gaza City, established in December 2023, containing around 20 bodies.
Shuheibar Cemetery in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, established on November 18, 2023, containing around 100-120 bodies.
Ishtawi Cemetery in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, established on November 21, 2023, containing around 15 bodies.
A mass grave near Al-Shawa Square, eastern Gaza City.

Deir al-Balah Governorate (Central Gaza):

A mass grave in a UNRWA school in Al-Bureij camp, established between January 14-15, 2024.
A mass grave in Al-Maghazi Girls Prep School, established on January 9, 2024, containing around 14 bodies.

Khan Yunis Governorate (Southern Gaza):

A mass grave in West Khan Yunis, established on November 22, 2023, containing around 111 bodies.
A mass grave in Abdel Karim Al-Karmi School in Abasan Al-Kabira, eastern Khan Yunis, established on January 14, 2024, containing around 9 bodies.
Three mass graves at "Nasser" Hospital, established in January 2023, containing around 392 bodies.
A mass grave at Al-Amal Hospital, established on January 29, 2024, containing around 4 bodies.
A mass grave at Al-Aqsa University, established on January 22, 2024.
A mass grave at UNRWA Vocational School, western Khan Yunis, established on January 23, 2024, containing around 14 bodies.
Al-Agha Cemetery, established by the Al-Agha family on their property after the Israeli army destroyed their primary family cemetery in the Austrian Quarter, western Khan Yunis, established on January 22, 2024.

Rafah Governorate (Southern Gaza):

A mass grave in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, western Rafah, established in December 2023, containing around 80 bodies.

Inhumane living conditions are imposed on the people of Gaza by the policies and continuous crimes of this occupation. This is a grave breach of international humanitarian law, which upholds the dignity of the deceased and mandates the correct handling of bodies. Notably, Article 17 of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention stipulates that "the parties to the conflict must take necessary measures to ensure the proper burial of the dead and protect their dignity." The law has to have its say!