CNN Investigation Finds Evidence of IDF Bulldozing Bodies of Gaza Aid Seekers into Unmarked Graves

A CNN investigation has uncovered evidence that the Israeli military used bulldozers to bury the bodies of Palestinians killed while seeking aid near a Gaza crossing into shallow, unmarked graves, a practice legal experts say may violate international law.

A new investigation points to the Israeli military bulldozing the bodies of Palestinians killed near an aid crossing into Gaza, leaving them in unmarked graves or exposed to the elements, depriving families of the chance to recover or identify their loved ones.

The CNN review, based on satellite imagery, video analysis, and testimony from eyewitnesses, aid truck drivers, and former Israeli soldiers, focuses on the area around the Zikim crossing. The route was used for aid deliveries this summer before it was closed in September.

The report details the case of Ammar Wadi, who left a final message on his phone for his family before setting out to get flour in June. He never returned. His story is echoed by dozens of families whose relatives vanished near the crossing.

Satellite imagery shows persistent bulldozer activity in the area from June through September. Videos geolocated to Zikim show decomposing bodies partially buried in sand near an overturned aid truck. Aid truck drivers described seeing bodies routinely, with one stating, “I watched Israeli bulldozers bury the dead bodies.”

The investigation also cites testimonies from two former IDF members who described similar practices of using bulldozers to cover bodies in shallow, unmarked graves elsewhere in Gaza. One soldier recounted that the location of a grave containing nine people was never recorded.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in a statement to CNN, denied using bulldozers to "remove" bodies but did not comment on whether they were used for burial. The military stated the presence of bulldozers was for "routine engineering needs" and dealing with explosives. The IDF reiterated it “does not intentionally shoot at innocent civilians.”

Legal experts note that international law requires warring parties to handle the dead in a manner that allows for identification and dignified treatment. “If bodies are deliberately mutilated or mishandled in a way that violates their dignity, this can amount to ‘outrages upon personal dignity’ which is a war crime,” said Janina Dill of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict.

For families like Ammar Wadi’s, the lack of closure is a continuing torment. “We accept whatever God has written for us,” his mother told CNN, “but we just want to know what happened to our son.”