UN expert warns Gaza rubble removal could destroy evidence of Israeli crimes
Francesca Albanese says reconstruction must not come at cost of recovering Palestinian remains or preserving evidence needed for future investigations
GENEVA (MNTV) – A UN expert has warned that large-scale rubble clearance in Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza could destroy evidence of alleged war crimes and other international crimes, while making it harder to recover and identify thousands of Palestinians believed buried beneath destroyed buildings.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, said Monday that rubble should not be removed, crushed or relocated before human remains and potential forensic evidence are systematically recovered and documented.
“The ongoing removal, crushing and relocation of rubble in Gaza must not destroy evidence of international crimes or prevent the recovery and identification of human remains in the besieged enclave,” she said.
Her warning comes as Gaza faces one of the largest debris-clearing operations in recent history.
The UN Development Programme estimated late last year that roughly 80% of buildings in Gaza had been destroyed, generating about 57.5 million tons of debris.
A subsequent UN-EU-World Bank assessment estimated reconstruction and recovery needs at $71.4 billion over the next decade, with more than 371,000 homes damaged or destroyed.
Thousands believed buried beneath rubble
Albanese stressed that Gaza’s ruins are not simply construction waste.
They contain human remains as well as physical evidence that could be relevant to investigations into alleged violations of international humanitarian and criminal law, including genocide.
More than 10,000 Palestinians have long been estimated to be buried beneath the rubble, according to Palestinian authorities cited by the UN.
The issue remains acute. Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday buried the remains of around 100 people recovered from destroyed buildings in Gaza City, including dozens of children, while thousands more are still believed missing beneath collapsed structures.
Albanese said the recovery and identification of bodies, forensic documentation and preservation of evidence should take place before debris is crushed or permanently removed.
She called for international criminal investigators to be involved in overseeing evidence collection.
“Destroying evidence of atrocity crimes is illegal,” she said.
Reconstruction and accountability
The warning highlights a difficult tension between Gaza’s urgent reconstruction needs and the preservation of potential crime scenes.
Removing debris is essential for reopening roads, restoring water and electricity networks, rebuilding homes and allowing humanitarian operations to function.
UNDP said by July it had cleared nearly 630,000 tons of debris and crushed more than 231,000 tons of concrete for reuse in roads, shelters and public facilities.
But UN agencies have also recognized that rubble clearance must take account of human remains, unexploded ordnance, asbestos and other hazards.
A new EU-UNDP project launched in July specifically combines debris removal with support for Palestinian forensic capacity and the dignified recovery and identification of human remains.
Albanese said any future clearance operation should therefore be based on a plan developed by Palestinians themselves and implemented by actors trusted by the affected population.
“Any removal must happen in the context of a plan designed by Palestinians and supported by actors who have the trust of Palestinians,” she said.
Warning to governments and companies
Albanese also warned governments, contractors and private companies involved in clearing Gaza’s ruins that participation could carry legal consequences if evidence of international crimes is knowingly destroyed.
She said reconstruction should not be allowed to erase the physical record of what happened during Israel’s assault on the enclave.
Gaza’s devastation has already become central to multiple international legal proceedings and investigations concerning the conduct of Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups.
For Albanese, preserving the ruins is therefore not simply a question of archaeology or documentation, but of future accountability.
Gaza’s reconstruction, she said, must not be “conditioned upon the erasure of its past and the evidence required to secure justice for its victims.”
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