A United Nations (UN) expert cautioned on Monday that the ongoing Israeli efforts to clear rubble in Gaza could potentially erase crucial evidence of “atrocity crimes” and impede the identification of human remains.
The assault on Gaza by Israel, initiated in response to a deadly incursion by Hamas in October 2023, has resulted in approximately 61 million tons of debris and wreckage that may require up to seven years to be completely cleared, as per the United Nations estimates.
Francesca Albanese, the UN expert overseeing the Palestinian territories, released a statement titled “UN expert warns Israeli rubble-clearing could erase traces of atrocity crimes,” emphasizing the necessity for Palestinian involvement in any waste removal plans.
Albanese’s office received reports in August regarding Israel’s systematic removal, crushing, and transportation of rubble, prompting concerns that evidence collection and identification of human remains should precede any extensive clearance operations.
She highlighted that in Gaza, the rubble represents more than just construction debris; it embodies a crime scene, a burial ground, and a tangible record of the devastating and indiscriminate bombing campaign that endured for two years.
Albanese noted that various sources disclosed the involvement of Israeli companies in the clearance activities, although specific sources were not named. Requests for clarification on the source of this information from Reuters remained unanswered by her office.
Israeli entities including the Foreign Ministry, the Prime Minister’s office, and the military did not provide immediate responses to requests for comments. Historically, they have strongly refuted Albanese’s criticisms, as she has emerged as a prominent critic of Israel’s military endeavors in Gaza.
Earlier this year, Germany, France, and Italy denounced what they perceived as Albanese’s excessively negative statements concerning Israel. However, she denied making the statements cited by these nations.
In July of the previous year, the United States imposed sanctions on Albanese, alleging her attempts to instigate action by the International Criminal Court against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.
UN experts, appointed by the Human Rights Council based in Geneva, are tasked with monitoring and documenting specific human rights crises independently of the organization itself.
The 2023 attacks led by Hamas claimed the lives of 1,200 individuals in Israel, with an additional 251 being held hostage, according to Israeli reports.
Gaza health authorities reported that over 73,000 Palestinians have lost their lives during Israel’s military campaign. Israel asserts its efforts to minimize civilian casualties, attributing the high toll to Hamas’s use of Gaza’s civilians as shields in densely populated areas—a claim which Hamas denies.
Hamas expressed gratitude for Albanese’s warning and urged the removal of rubble in a manner that guarantees the recovery of missing persons’ remains and preserves crucial evidence.
Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 8,000 individuals are still buried under the debris. A recent search by a Palestinian recovery team in Gaza City uncovered the remains of 112 individuals from the same family.
