Following reports that the Gaza War Cemetery holding the remains of Commonwealth soldiers who fell in the Middle East campaigns of both world wars had been damaged by the IDF, the military confirmed the reports, noting that it occured during an operation to destroy Hamas terror tunnels that were below the cemetery, Canadian public broadcaster CBC News stated on Wednesday.
The broadcaster cited an IDF officer who spoke to the outlet and was involved in combat operations in the area. He said that he was unable to give any assurances that the military had taken measures to preserve human remains.
Additionally, the broadcaster stated that the IDF confirmed that it had dug 20 to 30 meters deep under the cemetery in order to destroy a terror tunnel.
The IDF contact who spoke to CBC confirmed that digging operations were focused on the south of the cemetery compound, and that the military had been active there in July and August, engaging Hamas terrorists who had used the tunnels to move around the area.
The excavations were carried out with heavy machinery, the IDF contact stated, per CBC.
The spokesperson told CBC that questions on the matter should be addressed to the government. The broadcaster then reached out to the Israeli Embassy in Ottawa, but had not received a response.
The broadcaster noted that damage to the cemetery was first reported by the British outlet The Guardian on February 4, but added that it was unclear until recently whether the damage involved surface structures such as headstones and walls, or also included the remains of the deceased.
Satellite imagery analyzed by the Guardian appeared to show no signs of earthworks in March 2025, but the activity had become "clearly visible in a satellite picture from August 8."
"The disturbed area is even more apparent in an image of the cemetery from December 13. Vegetation has regrown among the ranks of gravestones covering the rest of the cemetery, but the southwestern corner remains bare, with the earth berm casting a substantial shadow over the sandy soil," the outlet's report stated.
"At the relevant time, the area in question was an active combat zone. During IDF operations in the area, terrorists attempted to attack IDF troops and took cover in structures close to the cemetery. In response, to ensure the safety of IDF troops operating on the ground, operational measures were taken in the area to neutralize identified threats," a military spokesperson told the Guardian.
"We emphasize 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," the spokesperson told the British outlet.
Remains in the cemetery are generally buried between two and three meters under the surface, CBC noted.
The cemetery in question contains the remains of Commonwealth soldiers, including British, Australian, Canadian, and Indian soldiers who died during Middle East campaigns of both world wars.
CWGC unable to enter Gaza to inspect site
Parts of the cemetery suffered "extensive damage," according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), CBC reported.
"It is unlikely we will be able to enter Gaza for some time and are not able to protect the sites from further damage," CWGC's statement added.
"Our key focus remains the safety and well-being of our staff and their families, and we are in regular contact with them all to support where possible," a CWGC spokesperson told CBC.
"When it is safe to do so, we will complete assessments of our sites before we can begin to restore them to a manner befitting all those who fell.… We will continue to update everyone as and when we are able."
"I think it's terrible. It should never have happened," the sister of a soldier buried in the cemetery told CBC.
"It looks pretty bad. I really don't think there's much of the cemetery there now at all," another relative said.
"There can't be, in my mind, a justifiable reason why you would destroy a cemetery," Berkley Lawrence, national president of the Royal Canadian Legion, told CBC.
"Canada is deeply concerned by reports that the Gaza War Cemetery was damaged last year. This includes the gravestones of Canadians and a plot dedicated to Canadian United Nations peacekeepers. Canada is in contact with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission about this matter," CBC cited Clemence Grevey of Global Affairs Canada as saying.
"Canada underscores the importance of ensuring that historical and memorial sites dedicated to those who served are preserved with the utmost respect," Grevey added.
"Military grave markers play a crucial part in preserving the memory of deceased Canadians who served their country during war and peace," CBC cited Veterans Affairs Canada as stating.
"We are saddened to hear that graves of British and allied personnel who bravely served in the first and second world wars have been damaged. War graves honor the memory of every member of the armed forces who has made the ultimate sacrifice and deserve to be treated with the utmost respect," a spokesperson for the Royal British Legion was cited as saying by the Guardian.
Australians had "not forgotten" their soldiers' service in the Middle East, Professor Peter Stanley, a military historian at the University of NSW Canberra, told the Guardian.