A new tent complex under construction west of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, confirms Israeli preparations for a large-scale offensive in Rafah, an attack that will be preceded by the evacuation of civilians towards Khan Younis, the city returning from months of intense Israeli military operations. Here, at the Nasser hospital, as well as at Al Shifa in Gaza, the Palestinian Civil Protection has discovered several mass graves in recent days, recovering 310 bodies so far. A number that is growing, which has come to light as Palestinian residents are returning to the area, in search of their loved ones, in hundreds of cases reduced to piled bodies, without a dignified burial. The United Nations says it is “horrified” by the news, calls for an independent international investigation and also warns of the risk of “heinous crimes” in the event of an offensive in Rafah, calling on world leaders to unite with “the imperative to protect civilians” . Saudi Arabia condemns the discovery, attributing it to “the international community’s failure to activate accountability mechanisms in response to Israel’s violations of international law, which will only result in further violations.”
The Israeli Army (IDF) denies blame, speaks of “unsubstantiated claims” and explains that, during the military operation, the troops examined the bodies buried by the Palestinians “as part of an effort to locate the hostages”. The IDF underlines that it “carried out examinations in an orderly manner, respecting the dignity of the deceased” and specifies that the bodies were “returned to their place in an orderly and correct manner”. It is not enough. The Palestinian complaint sparks general indignation. Also because there are still no prospects of a truce in the Strip.
Israel has launched a new operation aimed at Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza, and ordered some residents of Beit Lahiya to move to other areas, because the army will operate against the “infrastructure of terror”, “with extreme force” . New operations, while the raids in Rafah and the Strip continue, the Palestinian victims, including members of Hamas, are now over 34 thousand.
It is out of fear that other hostages may die in Gaza – after 200 days of captivity – that the families of the kidnapped have returned to demonstrate in Tel Aviv, urgently asking for the release of their loved ones. Hamas puts pressure on and reminds us that “time for an agreement is running out”. According to the Foreign Ministry in Doha, Hamas representatives will still remain in the capital for the negotiations, after announcing that they will not accept a mediator other than Qatar for the negotiations.
Meanwhile, daily clashes between Israel and the pro-Iranian Shiite militias Hezbollah continue on the border with Lebanon. The militiamen claimed drone attacks against two military bases in the north of the Jewish state, in retaliation for the killing, a few hours earlier, of a senior officer of the group’s air unit. Israel responded with new raids and according to Palestinian sources there were two victims, a woman and a 10-year-old girl.
From Tehran, the ayatollahs’ regime is also making its voice heard again, with President Raisi trying to dissuade Israel from a direct attack on the Islamic Republic, promising that – if it were launched – “nothing would remain of the Zionist regime”. But it is Western sanctions that are burning, for now, more than anything else. Tehran defines those decided by the European Union as “deplorable” and explains that it has exercised its right to self-defense with the attack of 300 missiles on Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Katz responds promptly to his Iranian colleague Amir-Abdollahian: «You better get used to it, it’s just the beginning.
The free world has woken up and is determined to stop you and Iran’s murderous dictatorship.”
Tags: mass graves horror investigation
