The United Nations has recently requested countries and international organizations to allow researchers access to all areas of Gaza. This request has been made following the discovery of bodies and human remains in the region, which mainly involve women and children. This situation indicates the likelihood of war crimes occurring in this Palestinian territory.
Current Situation in Gaza
According to Volker Turk, the UN Human Rights Chief, remains of what appear to be complete families have been found in areas heavily subjected to Israeli airstrikes. He expressed concern that the number of bodies found may only be the "tip of the iceberg." Especially since vast sections of Gaza have been reduced to rubble due to bombings and heavy destruction.
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Challenges in Recovering Bodies
Palestinian civil defense teams have reported that this month they found 96 bodies and human remains in one location in southeastern Gaza City. Overall, since November 2023, these teams have reported recovering over 800 bodies and other remains from under the rubble of destroyed buildings across Gaza. Meanwhile, over 8000 people remain missing under the debris, but the United Nations warns that this number may be less than the reality.
The effort to recover bodies faces many challenges, including Israel's refusal to allow heavy machinery into Gaza. Palestinian civil defense teams have stated that they only have one excavator at their disposal and are sometimes forced to dig by hand. Ajith Sanghi, the UN Human Rights Office Chief in the occupied territories, told reporters in Geneva, "At this rate, completing the recovery of remaining bodies will take at least another 10 years, if not longer."
Turk also emphasized that many areas of Gaza where Israeli military forces are stationed are being bulldozed, showing no respect for the dead beneath the rubble. Preserving evidence of violations, including at destroyed sites, is crucial, and he has called for international researchers to be granted access to all points in Gaza to assist in evidence collection.
He stressed that "every possible effort to document and identify these victims, preserve legal information and biological samples, record burial sites, and inform their families must be undertaken." The discovery of extensive remains under the rubble in Gaza City has revived concerns about war crimes and other heinous acts.
The United Nations has emphasized that Israel has "clear obligations under international law to take all necessary measures to search for and account for missing persons, as well as to search for, collect, and recover the dead."
Turk also stated: "These attacks must be effectively investigated, and if violations are proven, those responsible must be held accountable."
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