February 5, 2026
Graves of unknown soldiers at the Gaza War Cemetery [Wikipedia]
The graves of British, Australian and other allied soldiers killed during the First and Second World Wars have been destroyed by Israel in Gaza, satellite images and local testimony confirm.
The desecration occurred at the Gaza War Cemetery in Al-Tuffah, Gaza City, a site maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), where over 3,000 Commonwealth servicemen are buried or commemorated.
New satellite images show systematic destruction in the cemetery’s southwestern section, where the graves of Australian soldiers were located.
Topsoil has been stripped, rows of gravestones removed, and a large earth berm now dominates the area, clearly shaped by heavy machinery. The destruction did not exist in March 2023 satellite records, but appears visibly in imagery from August and December, confirming the desecration occurred during Israel’s ground operations.
READ: 6 Gaza cemeteries destroyed by Israel, report reveals
This is not the first time the Gaza War Cemetery has sustained damage from Israeli military action. In a video published by the Britain-Palestine All-Party Parliamentary Group delegation visit to Gaza, MPs and observers describe visible damage to the cemetery from Israeli assaults.
Essam Jaradah, the cemetery’s former caretaker, told reporters:
“Two bulldozing operations took place. First around the perimeter, an olive grove was levelled. Later, just under 1,000 square metres inside the walls, including graves of Australian soldiers, were bulldozed. The area was used to build earth barriers.”
Israel has justified the act by claiming that the cemetery became an “active combat zone,” with the military claiming Hamas fighters were operating nearby and that it had no choice but to destroy part of the graveyard to protect troops.
Israel has used the same argument in Gaza to target hospitals, schools, mosques and churches in its ongoing genocide.
READ: No respite for the dead in Gaza
The claim has been met with outrage from heritage bodies and military historians. The Royal British Legion expressed “sadness” and called for the graves to be treated with the “utmost respect.”
A December statement by the CWGC acknowledged “extensive damage” to the cemetery, including to a memorial to the 54th (East Anglian) Division and Hindu, Muslim and Turkish sections.
Satellite images indicate the destruction is worse than reported, with entire sectors razed. Graves of more than 100 allied soldiers — predominantly Australians — killed in the Second World War have been obliterated. Sections containing British troops from WWI have also been flattened.
Despite a ceasefire declared in October, Israeli forces have pushed westward beyond the “yellow line” that now divides Gaza. Local residents report Israeli fire at civilians who approach the boundary. Over 500 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire, including children.
Professor Peter Stanley, a military historian at the University of NSW Canberra, noted:
“Australians have not forgotten the soldiers who served and died in Gaza. To see their graves bulldozed is deeply offensive.”
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