392 bodies found at Nasser Hospital,
according to the Palestinian Civil Defense
30 bodies found at Al-Shifa Hospital,
according to the United Nations
What We Know About the Mass Graves Uncovered in Gaza
United Nations officials are calling for independent investigations after hundreds of bodies were recovered earlier this week from mass graves within two Gaza hospitals.
Following the withdrawal of the Israeli military in early April, more than 400 bodies have been found at multiple grave sites near the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, and at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense and the UN.
Source: Israel Defense Forces presence via the Institute for the Study of War
The US is pushing Israel for more information and the European Union has called for a probe. Israel has denied the Palestinian Civil Defense reports that its forces were responsible for the graves. An Israeli military spokesperson said Wednesday via a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis “the grave in question was dug — by Gazans — a few months ago.” The post links to social media footage dated Jan. 28 showing people digging a large trench, with text identifying the location as Nasser Medical Complex. Bloomberg has been unable to verify this footage.
About 56% of buildings have been damaged in the Gaza Strip including multiple hospitals, according to analysis by researchers at Oregon State University and the CUNY Graduate Center. Israel, which is facing international criticism for attacks on medical facilities, says that Hamas is using hospitals as command centers.
The UN says more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s military operations in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack in Israel by Hamas, designated as a terrorist group by the US and EU. About 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack and more than 200 kidnapped.
Bloomberg looked at satellite imagery over the two hospitals taken at different points in time around when the Israeli military destroyed both hospitals.
Nasser Medical Complex
After the Israeli army withdrew from Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital on April 7, mass graves were found over the weekend on the hospital’s grounds with at least 324 bodies, the UN reported on Tuesday, citing the Palestine Civil Defense, an organization which usually responds to incidents such as traffic accidents and fires. On Thursday, officials from the Palestinian Civil Defense increased that number to 392 during a press conference.
Note: Bloomberg located the grave sites by comparing news footage of the graves with satellite imagery. The operation began on Feb. 15; forces withdrew on April 1, according to the Israeli military.
Ravina Shamdasni, a spokesperson for the UN High Commission for Human Rights said that the reports from the Palestinian Civil Defense about the bodies found in the mass grave included “allegedly older people, women, and wounded.” Some were found with their hands tied, she said.
Bodies recovered from a mass grave at the Nasser Hospital compound on April 21. Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg
Al-Shifa Hospital
The Israeli military first attacked Al-Shifa, Gaza City’s main hospital, in November. Israeli officials said a Hamas command center with tunnels was underneath. Military forces withdrew from Al-Shifa Hospital on April 1 after launching a second two-week operation, the Associated Press reported. At least 381 bodies were recovered from the area surrounding the hospital earlier this month, the UN reported. Last week, two grave sites with 30 bodies were found in the hospital’s courtyard, according to a UN spokesperson, citing Gazan health authorities.
Note: Bloomberg located the grave sites by comparing news footage of the graves with satellite imagery. The second operation at Al-Shifa began on March 18 until forces withdrew on April 1, according to the Israeli military.
Medical workers told the Gaza health ministry they buried bodies in a mass grave at the hospital in mid-November, Bloomberg reported.
The area around Al-Shifa Hospital on April 1 following what the Israeli military said was one of the largest raids in the war. Photographer: AFP/Getty Images
On Wednesday, President Biden signed a US aid package that will give Israel $14.1 billion in military aid. The package also includes $9.5 billion in supplemental funding that will go towards humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including those in Gaza and Ukraine.