The grave site in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza is said to have been searched to find out if the hostages were among the buried, says the Israeli army, IDF to CNN.
“If it weren’t for Hamas’ reprehensible decision to kidnap Israeli men, women, children and babies, there would be no need for a search for hostages,” the IDF told CNN.
The IDF also added that finding the hostages and returning their bodies is one of the “main missions in Gaza”.
There have been previous reports of the Israeli army carrying out similar operations, but this is the first time the IDF has admitted to carrying out such an operation. According to CNN, attacks on a burial site could be a war crime.