Israel exhumes 1100 graves in Gaza, 'steals' bodies of Palestinians

Israeli occupation forces reportedly exhumed 1,100 graves at a graveyard in the Gaza Strip and “stole” 150 bodies of Palestinians, who have recently been killed in the regime's airstrikes, according to the government media office in Gaza.

Israeli bulldozers “razed” the Tuffah cemetery, east of Gaza, resulting in the “desecration” of the deceased, the media office said statement on Saturday,

Videos of buried bodies being dug out were shared by Palestinians on X.

The statement said that the military forces transported the bodies to an “unknown destination, once again raising suspicions” of organ theft.

This is not the first time that Israeli forces have committed such a “heinous crime,” it said, citing an incident last month when the regime’s forces returned the bodies of 80 Palestinians after they had stolen them from the Gaza City and northern Gaza areas.

The government said previously that several bodies were returned with their organs being “stolen.”

Rami Abdu, the director of the Euro-Med Monitor human rights group, also wrote in a message on X about the desecration of the graveyard by Israeli forces.

“Israeli bulldozers ruthlessly dug and destroyed al-Batish cemetery, meant for emergencies. Bodies, including my cousin’s, buried recently, are now scattered,” he wrote, adding that, “The disrespect for the deceased is beyond comprehension.”

The rights group has accused Israel of stealing dead bodies from Gaza's medical facilities for potential illegal organ harvesting.

“Israel is thought to be the biggest hub for the illegal global trade in human organs,” the Euro-Med said in a report back in November, citing a CNN investigation that also showed Israel engaging in organ theft from the bodies of dead Palestinians.

SS