The UN requests that international investigators be allowed access to the entire Gaza Strip to document bodies found under destroyed buildings. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, considers this presence necessary to preserve elements that could establish possible violations of international law and war crimes.
Search operations have already recovered hundreds of bodies, including those of women and children. According to the Palestinian Civil Defense, more than 630 bodies and human remains were removed from the rubble between November 2025 and September 2026. It also estimates that more than 8,000 people could still be buried under the destroyed buildings.
The UN aims to preserve forensic evidence
Volker Türk states that the bodies currently found may represent only a portion of the victims still under the rubble. He also warns against demolition and clearing operations that could alter or destroy elements useful for investigations. The High Commissioner therefore demands access to the different areas of Gaza to allow the collection and preservation of evidence.
Between June 27 and August 27, 233 bodies were reportedly extracted from 20 destroyed buildings, mainly in Gaza City. Among them were 74 children and 106 women. For the UN, victim identification must be accompanied by the preservation of forensic data and biological samples as well as documentation of the locations where bodies are found.
The fate of thousands of people still unknown
The High Commissioner for Human Rights also emphasizes the families’ right to know the fate of their missing loved ones. Search operations must not only identify victims but also determine the circumstances of their deaths and preserve elements that could contribute to possible judicial proceedings.
The UN thus calls to allow international investigators access to the affected areas before new clearing or destruction operations make some searches impossible. For Volker Türk, the priority is now to document the victims and preserve evidence as thousands of people may still be under the rubble.
