The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and the Office of Australian War Graves (OAWG) is very concerned by damage to Australian war graves in war cemeteries in Gaza.
We are aware of extensive damage to the Gaza War Cemetery and the Deir El Balah War Cemetery, both located in Gaza. This includes damage to Australian war graves.
It is not currently considered safe to access these cemeteries and this may remain the case for some time. Until safe access is possible, the full extent of the damage, including the number of Australian war graves affected cannot be accurately assessed.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) manages War Cemeteries in Gaza on behalf of the Australian Government and other member nations. The CWGC is closely monitoring the condition of the Gaza War Cemeteries and giving regular updates to OAWG. They are also releasing the latest information on their website.
The CWGC will secure and repair the cemeteries as soon as it is safe to do so. Once CWGC staff and service providers can again safely access the cemeteries, they will assess the damage and report further details to OAWG.
The Office of Australian War Graves understands this may cause significant concern and be distressing to families, and is committed to supporting the CWGC to ensure the restoration of all affected graves as soon as it is safe and feasible to do so.
Family members who wish to confirm whether their loved one is buried in the Gaza War Cemetery or the Deir El Balah War Cemetery can search the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records at Find war dead | War graves search | CWGC.
Families seeking further information are encouraged to monitor updates on the CWGC website or to contact OAWG.
