Palestinian rescue officials said on Saturday that the search for bodies would continue in the coming days due to their significant number.
At least 180 bodies have been found in a hospital located in the city of Khan Yunis in Gaza, according to the civil protection authorities in Gaza, Qatari media al-Jazeera by.
Palestinian civil defense groups found a mass grave in the hospital yard on Saturday.
The Israeli armed forces withdrew their forces from the city in the southern part of the strip in early April. Israeli forces said they conducted a “precise and limited operation” at the hospital.
Palestinian rescue officials said in a statement on Saturday that the search for bodies would continue in the coming days due to their significant number.
“Some bodies had no clothes”
According to Al-Jazeera’s reporter who was on the spot, the bodies of at least children, elderly women and young men have been found in the area.
A photographer from the news agency AFP also saw how rescue officials dug up bodies in the hospital yard and grieving relatives picked up the dead covered in white wrappings.
“Some of the bodies had no clothes, which undoubtedly shows that (the victims) were subjected to torture and abuse,” said a representative of the Gaza Civil Protection Authority Mahmoud Bassal for news agency AFP.
Israel’s armed forces said they were reviewing reports of bodies found.
Several mass graves at Al-Shifa
According to al-Jazeera, a mass grave was also found at Al-Shifa Hospital earlier this week after Israel had besieged the hospital for two weeks. According to Qatari media, several mass graves have been found at Al-Shifa Hospital.
Israel has accused the extremist organization Hamas of using hospitals as bases. Hamas has denied Israel’s accusations.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza in about six months, most of whom have been women and children.
Israel began bombing Gaza after Hamas and other Palestinian extremist organizations attacked Israel in early October. According to the Israeli authorities, around 1,170 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack.