Israel lacking respect for dead buried in Gaza rubble: UN

Human rights chief reiterates concern over war crimes evidence as remains from entire families are unearthed.

Areas in war-devastated Gaza continue to be razed by Israeli bulldozers with “no respect for the dead”, the United Nations’ human rights chief has said.

Volker Turk criticised Israel’s actions in clearing rubble in the enclave in a statement issued on Tuesday. His words come as the discovery of “extensive” remains have heightened concerns that evidence of war crimes is being destroyed or concealed.

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“Much of Gaza has been flattened by Israeli bombing or demolition and clearing by heavy machinery and explosives,” he said, warning that areas where the Israeli military remains deployed “continue to be levelled by bulldozers with no respect for the dead under the rubble”.

Smoke and fire rise after a house was targeted by an Israeli strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on September 9, 2026 [AFP]

The UN human rights chief said the remains of what appeared to be entire families were being unearthed from sites that were destroyed during Israeli attacks, adding that many victims were women and children.

“It is heartbreaking that the loved ones of those missing for so long are only now having their worst ⁠fears confirmed,” he said.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has generated about 61 million tonnes of wreckage and debris. It could take seven years to clear the debris, the UN has estimated.

A US-brokered “ceasefire” in October 2025 has failed to halt regular Israeli strikes and attacks, with more than 1,300 Palestinians killed since the “truce” came into effect, according to Gaza officials.

Widespread destruction

Palestinian Civil Defence says more than 630 bodies and human remains have been recovered from beneath destroyed buildings across Gaza since November 2025.

Palestinian authorities estimate more than 8,000 people remain buried in the wreckage.

Turk said he feared the remains recovered ⁠so far could be “only the tip of the iceberg,” noting that large parts of Gaza had been flattened ⁠by Israeli bombing or later demolition and clearance operations.

The UN official also reiterated his concerns over Israel’s conduct, including its extensive use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, which he said failed to effectively distinguish between civilians and fighters.

“The discovery of extensive remains under the rubble in Gaza City resurfaces these concerns of war crimes and other atrocity crimes,” he added.

“The reported killing of large numbers of family members, including children, women and persons with disabilities, in attacks on residential buildings, raises grave concerns regarding compliance with the rules governing the conduct of hostilities,” he said.

On September 6, Palestinians in northern Gaza held funerals for about 100 people, including 60 children, whose remains were recovered from the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Continued violence

Despite last year’s agreement to halt the hostilities, the Israeli military continues its operations in Gaza.

One Palestinian was killed by sniper fire in the north of the enclave on Tuesday.

The man was in the Jabalia refugee camp when he was shot by a sniper positioned on a high-rise crane, Al Jazeera reporters said.

At least two other people were killed in an Israeli drone attack on an industrial area of Gaza City, according to a source from the enclave’s Ambulance and Emergencies service.