USA agree with the previous ones Israel’s statements to Reports of mass graves not satisfied in the Gaza Strip. The reports are “deeply disturbing,” said US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Wednesday afternoon (local time) in Washington. “We are in contact with the Israeli government at different levels. We want answers. We want to understand what exactly happened,” he said at a news conference.
The European Union had previously called for an investigation into the matter. UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk is calling for “independent, effective and transparent investigations”. On Monday, the Civil Defense Authority, which is controlled by the terrorist organization Hamas, said it had discovered around 200 bodies in mass graves in Nasser Hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip in the past three days. Since the beginning of the war, numerous civilians displaced from the north had arrived there. Another 30 bodies are said to have been found in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, including women and children. they were buried under mountains of rubbish.
The Israeli military had already denied on Tuesday that it was responsible for the mass graves. “The claim that the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) buried Palestinian bodies is baseless and unfounded,” the military said. The bodies were returned to their gravesites after the examination.
Spontaneous protests in Israel after new hostage video
Meanwhile, spontaneous protests broke out in Israel after Hamas released a hostage video on Wednesday evening. Hundreds of people gathered in Jerusalem near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence to demonstrate for the release of the hostages, several media outlets reported. Among them were friends of the kidnapped young man who could be seen in the previously published video.
There were clashes with the police. According to police, demonstrators lit fires and fireworks and overturned garbage cans. They also blocked traffic. Security forces tried to disperse them. Four people were therefore arrested. There was also a spontaneous rally in the center of the coastal metropolis Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening.
Crowd chants “shame”
Media also circulated a video showing security forces escorting far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to his car at a demonstration as the crowd chanted “shame.” The footage shows him waving to people. Ben-Gvir, who is also security minister, had reportedly in the past called for an end to negotiations over the release of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the prospect of a ceasefire.
For months, thousands of people have been calling on the government to make another deal with Hamas to secure the release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has reportedly rejected proposals from international mediators. In return, Israel is not prepared to meet all of Hamas’ demands. Relatives of those abducted also accuse the government of standing in the way of a hostage deal. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the beginning of February that he would not agree to an agreement “at any price.”
The 24-year-old made serious accusations against the Israeli government in the video. They failed to protect the Israeli citizens and abandoned them – the hostages for almost 200 days. It was initially unclear under what circumstances the video was made and whether the man spoke of his own free will or under threats.