Geneva, Sep 7 (EFE).- The large-scale removal of debris in areas of Gaza under Israeli military control could be used to erase traces of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, the UN special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, said Monday.
«Destroying evidence of atrocity crimes is illegal. It is unacceptable that the reconstruction of Gaza is conditioned upon the erasure of its past and the evidence required to secure justice for its victims,» she said in a statement.
«Gaza’s rubble contains human remains and physical evidence relevant to the investigation of alleged international crimes, including genocide,» Albanese added.
The Italian expert pointed out that it is essential that before the removal and crushing of the rubble, the dignified recovery of human remains must be carried out, systematically documenting evidence of possible crimes with the help of international investigators.
«In devastated Gaza, rubble is not just construction waste. It is part of a crime scene, a graveyard, and the material record of what happened during a brutal and senseless bombing campaign that lasted two years,» she underlined.
The UN official recalled that, according to Palestinian authorities, more than 10,000 people remained buried under the rubble, after at least 92 percent of Gaza’s homes, as well as a large part of its civilian infrastructure, was destroyed or damaged during the conflict.
Albanese added that the recovery of human remains from the rubble was still possible, as demonstrated by recent search operations in which the bodies of 112 victims were recovered and given a burial on Aug. 4.
She pointed out that any removal operation must be carried out within the framework of a plan «designed by Palestinians and supported by actors who have the trust of Palestinians.»
The UN rapporteur also warned companies involved in debris removal operations that «by destroying evidence of international crimes, they could incur international criminal responsibility.»
According to the expert, demolition and leveling work on buildings in Gaza has continued in areas under Israeli control even after the October 2025 ceasefire, with the use of heavy machinery from multinational firms such as Caterpillar, HD Hyundai, Doosan and Volvo. EFE
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