Published on: 2026-09-15
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 15, 2026 International Law
The discovery of numerous human remains under the rubble in Gaza, most of which are presumed to belong to children and women, raises serious questions about violations of international law, including possible war crimes. This was stated today by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
According to him, the remains of entire families are discovered almost three years after their homes were destroyed as a result of Israeli strikes.
“It is painful to see that the relatives of those who have long been considered missing in action are only now receiving confirmation of their worst fears,” the High Commissioner said.
He expressed concern that the discovered remains might be just the “tip of the iceberg.”
“Most of Gaza was destroyed as a result of Israeli airstrikes, demolition of buildings, and clearing of territory using heavy machinery and explosives. Today, in many areas of Gaza where Israeli forces are deployed, bulldozers continue to level the land, showing no respect for the dead, whose remains are buried under the rubble,” said Türk.
The remains of hundreds of people have been recovered from under the rubble
According to the Palestinian Civil Defense Service, between November 2025 and September 2026, the remains of more than 630 people were retrieved from under rubble in Gaza. It is estimated that the number of missing persons still trapped under the debris exceeds 8,000.
From June 27 to August 27, 233 out of 407 bodies, which according to the civil defense service information were under the rubble of 20 destroyed buildings, mainly in the city of Gaza, were recovered. Among them are 74 children and 106 women.
This month, civil defense workers reported the discovery of 96 bodies and human remains at one of the sites in the Az-Zeitoun area in the southeast of Gaza City. According to reports, this site was struck in November 2023. Among the recovered remains were 58 children and 23 women. Most of the remains were extracted by hand.
“These painstaking search efforts are a harsh reminder of the scale and severity of the destruction from three years ago, which today is compounded by the ongoing suffering and torment of people who have not known for years what happened to their loved ones,” said Türk.
“Families have the right to know the whole truth”
The High Commissioner emphasized the need to identify the dead, preserve forensic information and biological samples, record burial sites, and inform families. He also called for ensuring international experts’ access to all areas of Gaza to assist in evidence collection.
“The family’s right to know the fate of their loved ones does not end after the identification of the deceased and their dignified burial. They deserve to know the whole truth,” Tuerk said.
He noted that Israel refuses to allow the import of heavy equipment necessary for clearing debris.
According to the High Commissioner, international law imposes a clear obligation on Israel to take all possible measures to search for missing persons and establish their fate, as well as to find, recover, and remove the bodies of the deceased. In areas where Israeli ground forces are present, remains must be recovered in a dignified manner, identified, and all potential evidence preserved.
At the same time, the extraction and burial of the deceased does not replace the establishment of the circumstances of their death.
Possible war crimes
Türk reminded that the UN Human Rights Office in 2024 presented a report studying Israeli strikes with heavy aerial bombs on residential buildings, as well as on a school, refugee camps, and a market during the period from October 9 to December 2, 2023. As a result of these strikes, over 200 people were killed.
The report noted that such strikes could violate fundamental norms of international humanitarian law, under which the parties to the conflict are obliged to observe the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
“I have repeatedly expressed serious concern that Israel’s choice of methods and means of conducting military operations, including the widespread use of explosive weapons with large-area effects in densely populated areas, has not allowed for effective distinction between civilians and combatants,” said Türk.
According to him, the discovery of numerous remains under the rubble in the city of Gaza once again raises questions about possible war crimes and other serious international violations.
“Reports of the killings of a large number of family members, including children, women, and people with disabilities, as a result of attacks on residential buildings raise serious questions about compliance with the rules of conduct in war,” said the High Commissioner.
He called for investigations into these attacks and for those responsible to be held accountable in cases where violations are established.
“I urge all states to strive for closer cooperation and coordination to ensure the retrieval of the bodies of the deceased throughout Gaza in a dignified and humane manner,” said Türk.
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