Israel used bulldozers to bury Palestinians in shallow, unmarked graves, CNN reveals

 Israeli forces bulldozed dead bodies of Palestinians and buried them in shallow graves; a CNN investigation has uncovered. The report, based on extensive video analysis, satellite imagery and testimonies from witnesses and former soldiers, reveals that Israel committed systematic violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.

The investigation sheds light on the fate of Palestinians who vanished while attempting to access humanitarian aid convoys in northern Gaza. Survivors and relatives of the missing described scenes of indiscriminate gunfire by Israeli troops as desperate civilians rushed to obtain food. Ammar Wadi, a young Palestinian who left home in June in search of flour, never returned. His final message to his mother—“Forgive me if anything happens”—was found on his phone weeks later. His body has yet to be found.

Video footage geolocated to the Zikim area shows several decomposing bodies, some half-buried, next to an overturned aid truck. Dogs can be seen scavenging the corpses. Satellite images analysed by CNN confirm that bulldozers were active in the area during and after the incidents. Civil defence teams confirmed that many bodies were never retrieved due to ongoing Israeli attacks.

The Israeli army has denied intentionally using bulldozers to bury bodies, claiming they are used for routine operational purposes. However, whistleblowers from within the army provided corroborating accounts of the use of bulldozers to dispose of bodies elsewhere in Gaza, including near the Netzarim Corridor.

One former Israeli soldier told CNN that his unit buried nine unarmed Palestinians without marking the graves or taking photographs for identification. “The smell of the rotting corpses became overwhelming as dogs scavenged the remains,” he told CNN.

READ: Palestine This Week: The bodies Israel doesn’t want you to see

According to the Geneva Conventions, deliberate mistreatment of the dead, including burying them without identification, can constitute “outrages upon personal dignity”, classified as a war crime. Janina Dill, co-director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict, said the practice may breach obligations to allow for identification and dignified burial of the deceased.

CNN’s findings echo previous reports of mass graves uncovered in Gaza. Earlier in 2024, over 300 bodies were found in a mass grave at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, following Israeli military operations. Many of the remains showed signs of execution and mutilation.

Eyewitnesses, including aid truck drivers operating on the Zikim route, testified to seeing corpses regularly bulldozed off the roads and into the sand. One driver remarked: “It’s like the Bermuda Triangle… no one knows what happens there, and it seems no one ever will.”

CNN also analysed videos from September showing Palestinians seeking aid being shot as they attempted to flee with sacks of flour. Forensic analysis confirmed the shots originated from Israeli military positions. Despite Israeli claims that fire was only used for “warning” or in response to threats, the footage shows civilians were targeted from behind.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has already led to the deaths of over 70,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children. The country is currently under investigation by the International Court of Justice for genocide. These new revelations may add further evidence to mounting allegations of systematic war crimes and the violation of international humanitarian law.

The families of the disappeared continue to search for answers. Nawal Musleh, mother of Ammar Wadi, said: “We accept whatever God has written, but we just want to know what happened to our son.”

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20251203-israel-used-bulldozers-to-bury-palestinians-in-shallow-unmarked-graves-cnn-reveals/