The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, conveyed his profound shock at the devastation inflicted upon the Nasser and Al Shifa medical facilities in Gaza, along with disturbing reports of mass graves containing numerous bodies, as stated by a spokesperson.
Palestinian authorities disclosed the discovery of bodies in mass graves at a hospital in Khan Younis, following its abandonment by Israeli forces. Similarly, reports emerged of bodies found at the Al Shifa site subsequent to an Israeli special forces operation.
Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasized the urgency of the situation, highlighting the alarming discovery of multiple bodies, some with bound hands, indicative of severe violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws.
Shamdasani stressed the imperative for thorough investigations into these grave violations.
She further revealed that the U.N. human rights office is actively collaborating to verify Palestinian officials’ reports, which detailed the discovery of 283 bodies at Nasser and 30 at Al Shifa. These bodies were reportedly interred beneath heaps of debris, encompassing women and elderly individuals.
Speaking through Shamdasani during a U.N. briefing, Volker Turk condemned the recent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, lamenting the disproportionate toll on women and children. He reiterated a caution against a full-scale incursion on Rafah, warning of the potential for “further atrocity crimes” should such actions proceed.
