War in the Gaza Strip

Mass graves: White House wants answers from Israel

In recent days, mass graves are said to have been found in a hospital in the Gaza Strip.(Bild: APA/AFP)

Following reports of around 200 bodies in mass graves in the Gaza Strip, the EU has called for an independent investigation. International human rights could have been violated, said the spokesman for the EU's foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell on Wednesday. The White House also "wants answers from Israel." 

As reported, the Hamas civil defense authority announced on Monday that it had discovered around 200 bodies in mass graves in a hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip. A total of 283 bodies are said to have been found on the site. Numerous displaced civilians had found refuge there since the beginning of the war. "This is something that compels us to call for an independent investigation into all the suspicions and all the circumstances," said Peter Stano, spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, regarding the mass graves.

The discovery of mass graves in the Gaza Strip was reported on Monday.(Bild: APA/AFP)

Palestinians in a hospital(Bild: AFP)

The UN had previously called for an international investigation. This would have to be "independent, effective and transparent". On Wednesday, the White House spoke of "deeply troubling" reports. "We want answers. We want to understand what happened." To this end, the US government is said to be in contact with the Israeli government.

Not satisfied with previous explanations
The White House is not satisfied with Israel's statements to date. The Israeli military had already denied on Tuesday that it was responsible for the mass graves. These allegations are "baseless and unfounded." The bodies were returned to their graves after the investigation.

The Israeli army has carried out several operations on the grounds of hospitals in the Gaza Strip. It accuses Hamas of using the hospitals as command centers and weapons caches. Civilians staying there are human shields. The terrorist organization rejects this.