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Australia has pledged to restore the graves of its war dead in Gaza after satellite imagery revealed parts of a Commonwealth cemetery containing Anzac burials had been bulldozed during Israeli military operations over the past two years.
More than 250 Australian servicemen are buried at the Gaza War Cemetery in Gaza City’s al-Tuffah district, most of them light horsemen killed during World War I. While most of the cemetery’s more than 3600 graves belong to British soldiers, satellite images show the most extensive destruction has occurred in areas containing Australian graves from World War II.
Images taken over the past year show rows of headstones removed, soil heavily disturbed and a substantial earth berm running through sections of the cemetery. The Guardian reported experts and witness testimony that said the scale and pattern of the damage suggests the use of heavy machinery rather than incidental destruction from nearby shelling.
A Department of Veterans’ Affairs spokesperson said there had been “significant damage” to the cemetery, which “includes the graves of Australians”.
“The Office of Australian War Graves is very concerned by the damage to the cemetery and Australian war graves. We remain committed to ensuring the restoration of all affected graves as soon as feasible,” the spokesperson said.
They said the Commonwealth War Graves Commission planned to secure and repair the cemetery as soon as it was safe to do so, however, it was expected that full reconstruction would take some time as the immediate post-conflict priority would be directed to humanitarian efforts.
The cemetery is maintained by the CWGC on behalf of Australia and other member nations, including India, New Zealand and Canada.
Two years of intense warfare in Gaza have destroyed vast amounts of infrastructure and left about 70,000 people dead, a figure from the health authorities in Gaza that has also been accepted by Israel.
The commission has previously said it is unable to access or protect sites in Gaza while the conflict continues. Last year, it estimated reconstruction of sites could cost $9.8 million, while works at the nearby Deir El Balah War Cemetery, 20 kilometres south-west of Gaza, could cost $1.6 million.
RSL Australia national president Peter Tinley again raised concerns regarding damage to the graves and also expressed concern for the welfare of the cemetery’s Palestinian gardeners and caretakers, who may have been affected by the conflict.
He said the ongoing military actions made it “extremely difficult” to actively monitor the status of the war graves and the cemetery as a whole.
“The cemetery has been maintained by a dedicated local team, all of whom are based in Gaza,” Tinley said. “The current head gardener is the fourth generation in his family to serve in the position, beginning with his great-grandfather, who first took up the role more than 100 years ago.”
Gaza holds a prominent place in Australia’s military history, particularly during World War I, when Australian light horsemen fought as part of the British-led Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the campaign to wrest southern Palestine from Ottoman control.
Three major battles were fought for Gaza in 1917. The first came close to Allied success but was abandoned after British commanders ordered a withdrawal, fearing water shortages for mounted troops. A second attempt in April failed after a frontal assault against heavily reinforced Ottoman defences stalled.
The breakthrough came in late October and early November 1917, when Australian light horsemen led a daring mounted charge at Beersheba. The capture of the town allowed Allied forces to outflank the Turkish defensive line, forcing the fall of Gaza with minimal resistance.
Gaza again became a significant Australian military hub during World War II. It hosted the headquarters of the Australian Imperial Force in the Middle East and several Australian general hospitals, treating thousands of Allied wounded as the war shifted across North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.
The CWGC said it was “deeply concerned” about “extensive damage” to the cemetery.
“As a result of the conflict the cemetery has suffered extensive damage to headstones, memorials, boundary walls, staff facilities and storage areas,” it said. “It is unlikely we will be able to enter Gaza for some time and are not able to protect the sites from further damage.”
Israel Defence Forces told The Guardian its actions were taken during active combat. The Daily Mail reported in November last year that IDF troops had discovered a missile launcher hidden beneath the cemetery after a Hamas supply tunnel running beneath the site was destroyed.
“We emphasise that underground terrorist infrastructure was identified within the cemetery and in its surrounding area, which the IDF located and dismantled. IDF activity in sensitive areas is approved by senior ranks in the army and handled with the required sensitivity needed.”
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Rob Harris is the national correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age based in Canberra. He is a former Europe correspondent.Connect via email.From our partners
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