GENEVA, September 15, 2026 (WAFA) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that the recovery of large numbers of human remains—mostly of women and children—from the Gaza Strip, nearly three years after their homes were subjected to intense Israeli bombardment, highlights serious concerns regarding compliance with international law and the potential commission of grave violations, including war crimes.
"The remains of what appear to be entire families are now being exhumed from sites leveled by Israeli attacks," the High Commissioner said. "It is heart-wrenching for the families of the missing—who have waited so long—to finally have their worst fears confirmed."
He added, "I fear that the remains recovered so far are merely the tip of the iceberg; vast areas of Gaza have been razed to the ground by Israeli bombardment or through demolition and clearance operations using heavy machinery and explosives. Today, bulldozers continue to level areas where the Israeli military is deployed—covering more than 70% of Gaza’s territory—without any regard for the sanctity of the dead lying beneath the rubble."
Türk emphasized the critical importance of preserving evidence related to violations—including at destroyed sites—given the ongoing legal proceedings concerning the conduct of hostilities in Gaza, and called for international investigators to be granted access to all parts of the Strip to assist in evidence collection.
It is worth noting that Israel refuses to allow the entry of the heavy machinery required to clear the rubble. Reports from Palestinian Civil Defence teams indicate that more than 630 bodies and other human remains were recovered from beneath destroyed buildings across Gaza between November 2025 and September 2026, while the total number of people missing under the rubble is estimated to exceed 8,000.
The High Commissioner stated: "Every possible effort must be made to document the details of these victims and identify them, preserve forensic information and biological samples, record their burial sites, and inform their families."
Between June 27 and August 27, the Civil Defence reported recovering 233 bodies out of an estimated 407 believed to be buried beneath the rubble of 20 destroyed buildings, the majority of which were located in Gaza City. This figure of 233 included 74 children and 106 women.
This month, the agency reported recovering 96 bodies and human remains from a site in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, which had apparently been bombed in November 2023. Among the recovered bodies and remains were 58 children and 23 women. Most of these remains were recovered using bare hands.
The High Commissioner said: "These arduous recovery efforts serve as a stark reminder of the sheer scale and gravity of the destruction that occurred three years ago—destruction compounded today by the prolonged suffering and misery resulting from years of not knowing the fate of loved ones."
He emphasized that "families' right to know the fate of their relatives does not end with identification and a dignified burial; they deserve to know the full truth." A 2024 report by the UN Human Rights Office highlighted Israel’s use of heavy bombs—weighing up to 2,000 pounds—between October 9 and December 2, 2023. These strikes targeted residential buildings, a school, refugee camps, and a market, resulting in the deaths of more than 200 people.
The report concluded that these strikes may have violated fundamental principles of international humanitarian law; under this law, parties to a conflict are required to adhere to the principles of distinction and proportionality and to take necessary precautions when launching attacks.
Türk stated: "I have repeatedly expressed grave concern regarding Israel’s choices concerning the methods and means of warfare—including the extensive use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated areas—as these choices failed to ensure effective distinction between civilians and combatants."
He added: "The discovery of large numbers of remains under the rubble in Gaza City renews these concerns regarding war crimes and other atrocity crimes."
The High Commissioner emphasized that Israel has clear obligations under international law to take all measures to search for and determine the fate of the missing, as well as to search for, collect, and transfer the dead. In areas where Israeli ground forces are deployed, remains must be recovered in a dignified manner, the deceased identified, and all potential evidence preserved. He added that recovering and burying the victims does not obviate the need to uncover the circumstances of their deaths, and that reports indicating the killing of large numbers of family members—including children, women, and persons with disabilities—in attacks targeting residential buildings raise grave concerns regarding compliance with the rules governing the conduct of hostilities.
K.T
