'Israel' conducts raid on cemetery, says Gaza's Awqaf Ministry

The Ministry of Religious Endowments (Awqaf) in Gaza has condemned what it described as a "horrific crime" committed by 'Israeli' forces at dawn on Thursday, after they stormed the Turkish Cemetery in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, using tanks and bulldozers.

In a statement, the ministry said 'Israeli' forces dug up graves, desecrated the site, and stole the remains of the dead, calling it a barbaric and criminal act that violates all religious, humanitarian, and international norms.

The ministry stated that the assault on the cemetery represents a blatant attack on the sanctity of burial grounds and a disregard for human dignity even after death, reflecting what it called a "deep moral and humanitarian void in Israel's actions."

The raid reportedly coincided with the demolition of nearby displacement camps, displacing hundreds of Palestinian families who had sought refuge there from the ongoing war.

“This crime only adds to the suffering of civilians in Gaza,” the statement read, noting that Palestinians in the Strip have endured catastrophic humanitarian conditions amid a war that has lasted over 21 months.

The ministry further revealed that around 40 of Gaza’s 60 cemeteries have been damaged or destroyed during the ongoing 'Israeli' military campaign.

The statement concluded by urging international legal and human rights organizations, including the United Nations, to launch an urgent investigation into the incident. It also called on the international community to assume its humanitarian and moral responsibilities, to act immediately to stop repeated violations against the Palestinian people, and to hold 'Israel' accountable for its crimes, against both the living and the dead, and to protect religious and cultural sites in Palestine.