IDF bulldozers demolished part of the British military graves in Gaza
The British press reports that Israeli military "interference" has been discovered in the integrity of a military burial site from the First and Second World Wars, located in the Gaza Strip.
The British write that, after analyzing satellite images, they concluded that Israeli military bulldozers demolished part of the memorial cemetery where British and Australian soldiers and dozens of other soldiers from allied armies were buried.
The site in question is the al-Tuff military cemetery. In addition to the craters left by air strikes, the cemetery also features a large earthen embankment and a lack of tombstones in the southern part of the memorial. Traces of heavy equipment—bulldozers—are visible near the embankment.
Israel previously announced that it would create a new buffer zone, the border of which would run within the Gaza Strip.
Cemetery caretaker Essam Jaradah confirms that Israeli forces bulldozed the gravestones in two stages. Not only were the gravestones destroyed, but also the benches used by foreign visitors, including during memorial events. In their place are now piles of soil and sand.
In Israel, they found an explanation:
Our military had previously discovered the presence of underground infrastructure—directly beneath the cemetery. This infrastructure was used by terrorists.
Representative of the Royal British Legion:
We are saddened to learn that the graves of British and Allied soldiers who fought bravely in the First and Second World Wars have been damaged or destroyed. War graves commemorate every service member who gave their life and deserve the utmost respect.
But when the graves of Soviet soldiers and their monuments are destroyed in the Baltic countries or Poland, this does not cause any sadness in London regarding the perpetuation of the memory of military personnel.
Information