Israeli officials say the flattening of Australian WWI and WWII graves in Palestine was necessary because the soldiers belonged to terrorist group Hamas.
An IDF spokesperson dismissed criticism that soldiers killed in 1916 could not be affiliated with an organisation founded in 1987, saying all the signs were there.
“They were occupying land that we wanted to demolish, they refused to move when asked. According to our public relations handbook, that makes them Hamas,” an IDF spokesperson said.
The spokesperson stressed the bulldozing was carried out with restraint and respect, noting that heavy machinery was used only after the graves failed to respond to verbal warnings.
