Since the start of its offensive, the Israeli army has dropped some 29,000 bombs across the 45 square kilometers of the Gaza Strip, destroying or damaging nearly half buildings.
In this landscape of ruins, several Gazan journalists began to film the hitherto little-documented destruction of cemeteries at the end of December 2023. Their images show tombs reduced to rubble, open vaults and, sometimes, human remains left in the open.
The world analyzed satellite images of the enclave taken between October 8, 2023 and January 20. They show that, of the 45 cemeteries recorded in the Gaza Strip, 22 have been damaged or completely razed, or half.
If the Israeli army justifies its operations by the omnipresence of Hamas in the enclave and the search for hostages or their remains, this destruction could constitute an attack on international humanitarian law. The latter provides protection for civilians, who can pay their respects in cemeteries, but also for the dead and their dignity.
Since October 7, the Israeli military operation has killed 25,700 Palestinians, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health. This assessment could not be independently verified.
Our sources and methodology are detailed in this document.