Families of Canadian soldiers interred in Gaza are calling for increased government efforts to safeguard their loved ones’ final resting places. They are advocating for the repatriation of the remains of their relatives, who are the last Canadian troops buried abroad, from the Gaza War Cemetery. This cemetery, located in the Tuffah district of Gaza City, houses the graves of twenty-two Canadian soldiers who perished during the UN’s inaugural major peacekeeping mission following the 1956 Israeli invasion of Egypt.
Recent aerial images scrutinized by CBC’s visual investigations unit reveal progressive destruction inflicted on the cemetery by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF’s actions include damaging headstones, constructing berms with heavy machinery, positioning tanks and armored vehicles in the vicinity, and setting off explosions that have resulted in sections of the Canadian peacekeeper section being blasted into the air.
Relatives of two soldiers buried in the Canadian plot, Paul Picard from Quebec and Adriaan Bons from Ontario, expressed their distress over the desecration of their family members’ resting places. Lia Bons, the sister of Adriaan Bons, conveyed her shock at the sight of the cemetery reduced to rubble devoid of headstones. Marguerite Picard expressed her desire to lay her brother to rest next to their parents, emphasizing the wish for his name to be inscribed on a shared headstone.
When contacted by CBC News for a response on the cemetery’s condition, an officer from the IDF’s 401st Brigade Combat Team justified the actions as part of efforts to demolish a tunnel beneath the cemetery. The officer disclosed that no precautions were taken to protect the soldiers’ remains buried there, as the plot is under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).
The destruction of the Gaza War Cemetery has sparked outrage among families and officials alike, with concerns over the lack of accountability and preservation of historical and memorial sites. The Canadian government, through Global Affairs Canada, has expressed deep concern over the reported damage to the cemetery, emphasizing the significance of upholding the dignity of sites dedicated to those who served. Despite diplomatic engagements on the matter, challenges persist in assessing the full extent of the damage and ensuring the proper preservation of the cemetery.
