2 May 2024

We, the undersigned citizens of Israel of activist organizations, are calling for an independent investigation to have a complete and objective inquiry into the horror of the mass graves in the Gaza Strip.

The discovery of mass graves near two hospitals, Al Shifa and Nasser, with hundreds of bodies of Palestinians - some of them medical staff and patients – underscores the need for a thorough investigation, including by independent forensic experts, to be carried out by Human Rights organizations from countries not involved in the war. The findings must be transparent and open to the public worldwide.

In particular, the assertion that some of the bodies were found with their hands tied behind their backs must be thoroughly investigated – if true, it means that extrajudicial executions had taken place.

Should the Israeli government and armed forces prevent such an investigation and deny to Human Rights investigators access to the Gaza Strip, they would not be able to avoid the taint and suspicion that they have something to hide and that heinous crimes were indeed perpetrated.

Adam Keller (Spokesperson for Gush Shalom)

Yossi Schwartz (for the ISL, RCIT Section in Israel/Occupied Palestine)