6 Gaza cemeteries destroyed by Israel, report reveals

The Israeli military occupation forces have damaged or completely destroyed at least six cemeteries in the northern Gaza Strip during their recent ground invasion advancements.

According to an analysis conducted by The New York Times using satellite imagery and video footage, Israeli forces demolished part of the Tunisian cemetery to establish a temporary military position in the Shuja’iyya neighbourhood in Gaza.

A satellite image captured on Sunday reveals Israeli armoured vehicles and defensive structures on ground that previously housed intact graves, despite international law considering the destruction of religious locations as possible war crimes.

The Israeli military has not provided explanations to The New York Times regarding the demolition of the cemetery or any measures taken to safeguard religious sites in Gaza.

Moreover, the Israeli military vehicles had also damaged numerous graves at a smaller cemetery located half a mile north-west of the Tunisian cemetery. A video released by the

Israeli military on Sunday revealed soldiers involved in attacks in the area.

READ: Report: Israel sets end of January to end ‘intense phase’ of Gaza war

On that same day, satellite imagery captured fresh tracks and potential military vehicle presence at Al-Faluja cemetery in the Jabalya, northern Gaza, reported The New York Times. 

Furthermore, there were indications of a potential military setup at a cemetery in Beit Hanoun, also situated in the northern part of Gaza.

The additional cemeteries identified by The New York Times as being destroyed by Israeli forces are located in Sheik Ijlin, a neighbourhood in Gaza City, and Beit Lahia, a city situated in the northernmost part of Gaza.

Since a week-long truce collapsed at the start of December, Israeli forces have extended their ground campaign from the northern Gaza Strip into the south, with the storming of the main southern city of Khan Yunis.

Meanwhile, fighting has only intensified amid the rubble of the north, where Israel had previously said its military objectives had been largely met.

READ: Far-right Minister: Israel ‘should fully occupy the Gaza Strip’