Number Of Bodies Found In Mass Graves Of Nasser Gaza Hospital Increases To 324

Evacuation of bodies in mass graves around Nasser Hospital. (Source: WAFA)

JAKARTA - Gaza's Civil Defense Directorate General said dozens of bodies were again found at mass burial sites around hospitals in Khan Younis, southern Gaza

The directorate announced that the latest data noted that about 324 bodies were found at the Nasser Hospital Complex following the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the region this month.

In an effort to evacuate the latest, the bodies of 51 people from "various categories and ages" have been found. Of these, 30 bodies were identified, according to CNN April 24.

Yamen Colonel Abu Suleiman, Director of Civil Defense at Khan Younis, previously told CNN several bodies had been found with their hands and feet tied, and there were signs of execution in the field.

"We don't know if they were buried alive or executed. Most of the bodies are rotten," he said.

Gaza's Civil Defense Directorate General said on Wednesday the crew would resume search and evacuation operations in the coming days.

Colonel Suleiman was unable to confirm the cause of death among the excavated bodies. CNN has raised a number of questions to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) about the discovery of the mass grave.

CNN has also asked for responses from the Israeli military to claims its troops carried out DNA tests on a number of people who had been killed and temporarily buried in the hospital grounds, to search for hostages taken by Hamas and detained in Gaza.

Israeli Defense Forces buried the bodies of Palestinians back in a collective cemetery, relatives said.

It is known that Nasser Hospital was one of the hospitals attacked and raided by the Israeli military. Last February, they carried out a special operation at the hospital, claiming to have arrested dozens of suspects and weapons from inside the hospital.

Israel left the city of Khan Younis with a rubble condition on April 7, after carrying out months of attacks.