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UN Rights Chief Warns Gaza Remains Buried Amid Ongoing Demolition
(MENAFN) UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said Tuesday that Israeli military bulldozers continue to demolish and clear areas of Gaza, raising concerns over the fate of people whose remains remain buried beneath the rubble.
"Much of Gaza has been flattened by Israeli bombing or demolition and clearing by heavy machinery and explosives. Today, many areas in Gaza where the Israeli military is deployed continue to be levelled by bulldozers with no respect for the dead under the rubble," Volker Turk said in a written statement.
Turk said recovery teams are continuing to uncover remains believed to belong to "what appears to be entire families," warning that the discoveries could represent only a fraction of those still buried beneath destroyed buildings and debris.
He emphasized that evidence from the sites must be protected as legal proceedings concerning the Gaza conflict continue. Turk called for international investigators to receive access to all parts of the territory so they can assist with documenting violations and collecting material that could be relevant to ongoing investigations.
Estimates indicate that around 8,000 Palestinian bodies remain trapped under rubble across Gaza. Civil defense authorities said more than 630 bodies and other human remains were recovered between November 2025 and September 2026, underscoring the scale of the recovery challenge.
“Every feasible effort must be taken to document and identify these victims, preserve forensic information and biological samples, record their burial locations and inform their families,” Turk underscored.
He said the continuing recovery operations highlighted the immense scale of destruction and the suffering experienced by families who have spent years without knowing the fate of missing relatives. Turk described the "painstaking recovery efforts" as reflecting the "gravity and breadth of the destruction three years ago, compounded today by the prolonged suffering and misery brought by years of not knowing."
The UN official also revisited concerns he had previously raised regarding Israel’s conduct during the hostilities, particularly the extensive deployment of explosive weapons in heavily populated areas. He said such operations raised concerns about whether sufficient distinction had been made between civilians and fighters.
“The discovery of extensive remains under the rubble in Gaza City resurfaces these concerns of war crimes and other atrocity crimes," he added.
Turk further stressed that Israel has obligations under international law to search for missing people, account for their whereabouts and recover those who have died. He noted, however, that recovering and burying victims alone does not resolve the need to determine how and under what circumstances they were killed.
“The reported killing of large numbers of family members, including children, women and persons with disabilities, in attacks on residential buildings raises grave concerns regarding compliance with the rules governing the conduct of hostilities," he said.
He called for effective investigations into the reported attacks and urged that individuals found responsible be held accountable.
"I urge all States to press for greater cooperation and coordination to ensure the recovery of bodies across all of Gaza in a dignified and humane way," Turk further noted.
"Much of Gaza has been flattened by Israeli bombing or demolition and clearing by heavy machinery and explosives. Today, many areas in Gaza where the Israeli military is deployed continue to be levelled by bulldozers with no respect for the dead under the rubble," Volker Turk said in a written statement.
Turk said recovery teams are continuing to uncover remains believed to belong to "what appears to be entire families," warning that the discoveries could represent only a fraction of those still buried beneath destroyed buildings and debris.
He emphasized that evidence from the sites must be protected as legal proceedings concerning the Gaza conflict continue. Turk called for international investigators to receive access to all parts of the territory so they can assist with documenting violations and collecting material that could be relevant to ongoing investigations.
Estimates indicate that around 8,000 Palestinian bodies remain trapped under rubble across Gaza. Civil defense authorities said more than 630 bodies and other human remains were recovered between November 2025 and September 2026, underscoring the scale of the recovery challenge.
“Every feasible effort must be taken to document and identify these victims, preserve forensic information and biological samples, record their burial locations and inform their families,” Turk underscored.
He said the continuing recovery operations highlighted the immense scale of destruction and the suffering experienced by families who have spent years without knowing the fate of missing relatives. Turk described the "painstaking recovery efforts" as reflecting the "gravity and breadth of the destruction three years ago, compounded today by the prolonged suffering and misery brought by years of not knowing."
The UN official also revisited concerns he had previously raised regarding Israel’s conduct during the hostilities, particularly the extensive deployment of explosive weapons in heavily populated areas. He said such operations raised concerns about whether sufficient distinction had been made between civilians and fighters.
“The discovery of extensive remains under the rubble in Gaza City resurfaces these concerns of war crimes and other atrocity crimes," he added.
Turk further stressed that Israel has obligations under international law to search for missing people, account for their whereabouts and recover those who have died. He noted, however, that recovering and burying victims alone does not resolve the need to determine how and under what circumstances they were killed.
“The reported killing of large numbers of family members, including children, women and persons with disabilities, in attacks on residential buildings raises grave concerns regarding compliance with the rules governing the conduct of hostilities," he said.
He called for effective investigations into the reported attacks and urged that individuals found responsible be held accountable.
"I urge all States to press for greater cooperation and coordination to ensure the recovery of bodies across all of Gaza in a dignified and humane way," Turk further noted.
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