Gaza City, May 11 (RHC)-- The bodies of 80 Palestinians have been uncovered in three mass graves at al-Shifa Hospital, bringing the total number of bodies discovered in such graves in different sites throughout Gaza following the withdrawal of Israeli forces to 520, according to the Health Ministry in the besieged and bombarded territory.
There is “hard evidence” that some of the victims were “executed” at point-blank range, with bullet wounds found in their heads and chests, the ministry said.
Earlier this week, Palestinian officials said they had discovered a new mass grave at al-Shifa Hospital, which was sieged by Israeli forces in March, marking the seventh such grave found throughout Gaza since the start of Israel’s war.
Among those found killed in al-Shifa Hospital are four health officials, said Gaza’s Health Ministry in a press statement, bringing the total number of medical staff killed during the war to 492.
In addition, the ministry said Israeli forces have detained 42 medical staff from the hospital, bringing the total number of detained health officials to 310. The detained medical officials are held in “dire conditions” that threaten their lives, the ministry said, noting the recent death of surgeon Adnan al-Bursh in Israeli custody.
The ministry called on Israel to “immediately release all the medical staff…and to act swiftly to salvage what is left of our medical facility.”