Families of Canadian military personnel laid to rest in Gaza are urging the government to take stronger actions to safeguard the graves of their loved ones. They are advocating for the repatriation of the remains of the Canadian soldiers interred at the Gaza War Cemetery, which has suffered repeated damage caused by the Israeli Defense Forces.
The cemetery, located in the Tuffah district of Gaza City, is the final resting place for 22 Canadian soldiers who perished during the UN’s initial major peacekeeping mission following the 1956 Israeli invasion of Egypt. Aerial images scrutinized by CBC’s visual investigations team reveal the gradual destruction of headstones, the construction of earth berms using heavy machinery, the parking of tanks and armored vehicles near the site, and detonations that resulted in a portion of the Canadian peacekeeper section being blasted into the air.
Relatives of soldiers buried in the cemetery, such as the sisters of Paul Picard from Quebec and Adriaan Bons from Ontario, have voiced their distress over the condition of their brothers’ graves. Lia Bons expressed shock at the obliteration of headstones, emphasizing the desolation of the site. She lamented that even the surrounding structures had been eradicated.
Marguerite Picard expressed her desire to reinter her brother alongside their parents, affirming her certainty that her parents would want him repatriated for a family burial. The destruction of the cemetery has added to the anguish for families like hers.
The IDF officer from the 401st Brigade Combat Team acknowledged that the cemetery damage occurred during an operation to collapse a tunnel beneath the site. The officer stated that the action was carried out without precautions to protect the soldiers’ remains under the administration of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Efforts to visit the site by Canadian government representatives and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have been hindered. Satellite imagery shows ongoing damage to the cemetery, with recent images indicating the destruction of the archway to the Canadian plot. The lack of access to the cemetery has impeded confirmation of the extent of the damage.
Canadian officials have expressed concern over the reports of damage to the Gaza War Cemetery and emphasized the importance of preserving historical and memorial sites dedicated to those who served. Global Affairs Canada has been engaged in discussions with local authorities regarding the situation but did not disclose details of their interactions with the Israeli government.