Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, has called for an independent international investigation into the recent discovery of mass graves in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking at a General Assembly meeting on Wednesday, Nebenzia stated, “There is a need for an independent international investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.” Earlier, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, urged immediate access for international investigators to the mass grave sites in Gaza to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians.
Recent findings in Gaza have uncovered mass graves, leading to international calls for investigations into potential war crimes. The discoveries at two major hospitals in Gaza—Nasser and Al-Shifa—have revealed bodies buried deeply, some showing signs of severe mistreatment such as being bound or stripped.
These mass graves were reported after Israeli forces withdrew from the areas, and in some cases, the sites had been directly targeted during military operations.
The UN has been actively involved in assessing these sites, with statements emphasizing the distressing nature of these discoveries and the necessity for thorough international investigations to hold responsible parties accountable. Specifically, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has highlighted the need for these investigations to address the grave violations of international law indicated by the conditions in which the bodies were found.
