The Israeli army has admitted that its soldiers dug up graves in Gaza but claimed this was done to confirm that the bodies of captives were not buried, Al Jazeera reports.

“When critical intelligence or operational information is received, [the military] conducts precise hostage rescue operations in the specific locations where information indicates that the bodies of hostages may be located,” an army spokesperson was quoted as telling US outlet NBC.

Various cemeteries in Gaza have been documented to have been dug up by the Israeli army, with Palestinian bodies left on the dug-up soil after soldiers leave.