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Posted - January 20, 2024 at 7:56 AM

Saved - January 20, 2024 at 11:11 AM

@SportMadMe - Sportmadme

@swilkinsonbc - Sarah Wilkinson

The israelis have destroyed 16 cemeteries in Gaza, & unearthed dozens of bodies, under the pretext they were looking for the remains of israelis https://t.co/1LZMxyE4oy

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The Israeli military has acknowledged entering cemeteries in search of hostages' remains, but an investigation found that 16 cemeteries in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Videos and satellite imagery show gravestones destroyed and soil upturned, with tread marks indicating deliberate destruction. Destroying graveyards violates international law, except under limited circumstances. Some cemeteries have been turned into military outposts, with armored vehicles parked behind berms. Tombs have been opened and bodies removed. The Israeli military claims some cemeteries were used for military purposes by Hamas. The destruction of cemeteries could indicate a lack of respect for the dead and cultural heritage.

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Speaker 0: Today, the Israeli military acknowledged that they rolled into a cemetery, took bodies out of graves as part of what they say is a search for Israeli hostages' remains. But as the Israeli military put out that statement, we were completing our investigation into the Israeli military's desecration of cemeteries. And what we found is 16 cemeteries across Gaza damaged or destroyed? I do wanna warn our viewers that they may find some of these images disturbing. In Gaza, even the dead cannot escape the indignities of war. More than a dozen cemeteries like this one in Jabaliya desecrated by the Israeli military. Gravestones destroyed, soil upturned, tread marks leaving little left for the living to honor their dead. This is that same graveyard before the war. 1 month later, a series of tread marks can be seen on the northwestern edge. It is no exception. A CNN analysis of videos and satellite imagery found that 16 cemeteries have been damaged or destroyed by the Israeli military since it launched its ground offensive. As Israeli forces push deeper into Gaza, they crushed the graves of thousands of Palestinians between November January. Janina Dill, codirector Tour of Oxford University's Institute For Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict says destroying graveyards violates international law, except under very limited circumstances. Speaker 1: Cemeteries are not military objectives. They are in fact what international law would consider A an object that is normally dedicated to civilian purposes, like places of worship generally. So this is protected from intentional attack. It can only be intentional Packed or destroyed if it becomes a military objective. Speaker 0: In some cases, like this cemetery in the Shazayer refugee camp, Israeli bulldozers turned cemeteries into military outposts, parking armored vehicles behind freshly raised berms. The damage is often deliberate and progressive. Over 2 weeks in December, the military bulldozed more and more of this cemetery east of Han Yunus, building defensive fortifications. CNN witnessed firsthand, the results of Israel's bulldozing of graveyards while embedded with Israeli forces last week. The armored personnel carrier CNN was traveling in drove right through this cemetery in Al Berej on a freshly bulldozed dirt road. And then there's this. Tombs opened at a cemetery in Han Yoonas this week. Bodies removed from their graves. In a statement, the Israeli military acknowledged exhuming bodies from the cemetery as part of its search for the bodies of Israeli hostages. An IDF spokesman could not account for the damage to the 16 cemeteries identified by CNN, but said that in some cases, there is no other choice, providing this photo of what it says is a Hamas rocket launcher at a cemetery in Gaza. CNN could not independently verify where it was taken. The spokesman could not account for the military posts over graveyards, but said we have a serious obligation to the respect of the dead, and there is no policy to create military posts out of graveyards. In at least one case, the Israeli military appears to have taken pains to maneuver around a graveyard. The Deir el Balah war cemetery, which holds the remains of many Christian and Jewish soldiers from World War 1, left intact despite devastation all around. At the Al Tafaa Cemetery, a very different picture. Residents say bodies were uprooted by Israeli bulldozers. Speaker 2: We're currently retrieving the corpses of the martyrs that are present in the cemetery. The occupation forces have run over most of them with their bulldozers, And we've only identified a small number of corpses and martyrs. As for the rest, their identities remain unknown. Speaker 0: South Africa cited Israel's destruction of cemeteries as part of its case, arguing Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel denied the allegation, but experts say cemetery destruction could be evidence of Israel's intent. Speaker 1: There is Huge symbolic meaning to the notion that not even the dead are left in peace. It suggests that disrespect towards the Spiritual life of your enemy, their cultural property and heritage. It's an evidence of an animus against your enemy that That is unhelpful in this context. Speaker 0: The Israeli military is still desecrating graves in Gaza. At the Han Yoona cemetery where the military dug up bodies this week, the damage is extensive and all too familiar. Tombs destroyed, shrouded bodies sticking out of the soil, the dead roused from their final rest. And the Israeli military pointed to Hamas using some of these cemeteries for military purposes to justify what we've documented here but what we're talking about isn't just strikes on these cemeteries. In some cases, it's the bulldozing of entire cemeteries, putting military outposts they're heavy armored vehicles driving right through the graves, showing very little care for the dignity of the dead. It speaks to something far more systematic then what the military acknowledged.