United Nations calls for access for international investigators to Gaza following discovery of bodies under rubble
On Tuesday, the United Nations called for granting international investigators access to all parts of Gaza “to help collect evidence,” as hundreds of bodies were being recovered from beneath the rubble in the Palestinian territory devastated by Israeli airstrikes and fighting.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement that “the remains of what appear to be entire families are currently being recovered from sites flattened by Israeli attacks,” emphasizing that “the discovery of numerous remains under the rubble in Gaza city brings to the fore concerns related to war crimes and other atrocious crimes.”
He added, “I fear that the remains found so far represent only the tip of the iceberg, as large parts of Gaza have been flattened by Israeli bombardment or by demolition and rubble removal using heavy machinery and explosives. Even today, many areas in Gaza, where the Israeli military is present, continue to be leveled by bulldozers, with no regard for the sanctity of the dead buried under the rubble.”
In this context, and with the aim of “preserving evidence of violations, including at destroyed sites,” Türk called for “allowing international investigators access to all areas of the Gaza Strip to help collect evidence,” according to the High Commissioner’s office, which noted that “Israel has refused entry to heavy equipment designated for rubble removal.”
The High Commissioner’s office pointed out that the Palestinian Civil Defense announced the recovery of more than 630 bodies, along with other human remains, from beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings across the Gaza Strip between November 2025 and September 2026. The office also estimates the total number of people missing under the rubble at more than 8,000.
Volker Türk stressed the “need to make every effort to document and identify these victims, preserve forensic data and biological samples, document burial sites, and inform families.”
Between June 27 and August 27, the Palestinian Civil Defense reported recovering 233 bodies from beneath the rubble of 20 destroyed buildings, particularly in Gaza City. The toll included 74 children and 106 women.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that “the right of families to know the fate of their loved ones does not end with identification and conducting dignified burial ceremonies; they deserve to know the full truth.”
