Graves of Australian soldiers damaged in Gaza war zone, Canberra commits to full restoration

Amid Gaza's scarred landscapes, where olive groves once whispered peace, a sacred site honoring over 250 Australian ANZAC heroes lies bulldozed. Satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts reveal extensive damage to the Gaza War Cemetery in Gaza City's Tuffah neighborhood, where Israeli forces bulldozed sections containing graves of Australian soldiers from World Wars I and II during the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Australia has committed to restoring the destruction, with the Department of Veterans' Affairs confirming "significant damage" and vowing repairs through the Office of Australian War Graves as soon as feasible.

The site, managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), had been meticulously maintained by the Jaradah family for generations until they fled in 2023.

History of the Gaza War Cemetery

Established post-World War I, the cemetery holds 3,427 graves and 30 post war burials including British, alongside Australians (mostly from Sinai-Palestine campaign), Poles, and others from WWII.

Former caretaker Essam Jaradah, who tended it for 45 years, described two bulldozing phases: first outside walls (12m perimeter, destroying olive trees), then inside (1 dunam in Australian soldiers' corner, from visitor bench to monument, with sand barriers).

There was no visible harm in March 2025 imagery, but destruction was evident in August and December 2025, with bare soil, removed headstones (WWII Australian/British/Polish sections, some WWI British), earth berms, and access roads.

IDF footage from August 2025 showed demolition of a Hamas tunnel and rocket launcher near graves. The IDF stated the area was an "active combat zone" where terrorists attacked using cemetery cover; actions protected troops, dismantled underground threats, approved sensitively by senior ranks.

Restoration efforts

Australia pledges for full restoration of ANZAC graves, led by Veterans' Affairs. CWGC noted extensive prior damage to headstones, walls, facilities from conflict.

The UK's Royal British Legion expressed sadness, stressing respect for sacrifices. Historian Prof. Peter Stanley called it a loss of a sacred place, deeply felt in Australia, as reported by The Guardian.

This fits broader reports of 16+ Gaza cemeteries damaged, some used for military bases amid hostage searches.