Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has voiced concerns over allegations of organ theft by Israel's army from deceased Palestinians in Gaza. The NGO is urging an independent international investigation into the accusations, citing reports from medical professionals in Gaza who examined bodies released by Israel.
According to Euro-Med, Israeli forces are accused of confiscating dozens of dead bodies from hospitals in both northern and southern Gaza. Medical examinations revealed the absence of vital organs such as livers, kidneys, hearts, cochleas, and corneas, leading the NGO to label it as potential evidence of organ theft.
The Euro-Med Monitor also alleges that Israel exhumed and confiscated corpses from a mass grave at al-Shifa, dug more than 10 days prior. The Israeli Defence Force has been approached for comment, but no response has been received as of now.
Israel has previously denied accusations of harvesting organs without family consent, dismissing such claims as "antisemitic." Euro-Med points out the difficulty of proving or disproving organ theft through forensic medical examination alone, especially given that many bodies underwent surgery before death.
The intensity of Israeli attacks on Gaza has reportedly hindered a comprehensive examination of the recovered corpses. Palestinian health officials in Gaza have expressed the collapse of the health system, making it challenging to accurately count the dead. The situation has sparked renewed calls for an international investigation into the alleged organ theft by Israeli forces.