The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk has said the recovery of extensive human remains in Gaza, mostly those of children and women, almost three years after Israeli forces heavily bombed their homes, raises serious concerns about compliance with international law and the possible commission of war crimes.
In a statement issued in Geneva on September 15th, 2026, Türk said entire families appeared to be among those now being unearthed at sites devastated by Israeli attacks.
“It is heartbreaking that the loved ones of those missing for so long are only now having their worst fears confirmed,” he said. He warned that the remains recovered so far could be only the tip of the iceberg, as large parts of Gaza had been flattened by bombing, demolition and clearing by heavy machinery.
The Palestinian Civil Defence reported that more than 630 bodies and other human remains had been recovered from beneath destroyed buildings between November 2025 and September 2026.
It estimated that more than 8,000 people remained missing under the rubble. Israel has refused entry to heavy machinery needed for rubble removal.
Between June 27th and August 27th, 2026, 233 of 407 bodies believed to be beneath 20 destroyed buildings, mostly in Gaza City, were recovered, including 74 children and 106 women.
This month, teams recovered 96 bodies and remains at one site in Az Zeitoun, including 58 children and 23 women, often relying only on their hands.
Türk said evidence from destroyed sites must be preserved for ongoing legal proceedings and called for international investigators to be granted access to all parts of Gaza. Families, he added, had a right to know the fate of their relatives and the full circumstances surrounding their deaths.
He reiterated concerns that Israel’s use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated areas may have failed to distinguish between civilians and fighters.
He urged Israel to search for and account for the missing and the dead, and called on all States to press for the dignified recovery of bodies across Gaza and effective investigations where violations are established.
