Key facts
- UN human rights chief Volker Turk expressed concern over the recovery of hundreds of bodies from rubble in Gaza.
- Turk suggested that war crimes may have been committed.
- Palestinian Civil Defence reported recovering over 630 bodies and human remains since November 2025.
- Israeli restrictions on items like DNA kits and excavators are impeding recovery and identification efforts, according to the UN human rights office.
- The UN rights chief called for international investigators to be granted access to Gaza.
- Israel has rejected allegations of deliberately targeting civilians and states it acted in accordance with international law.
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, stated on Tuesday that the recovery of hundreds of bodies from the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in Gaza has raised fresh concerns about possible war crimes. Turk noted that the remains of what appeared to be entire families were being unearthed from sites destroyed during Israeli attacks, with many victims being women and children.
Palestinian Civil Defence authorities reported that more than 630 bodies and other human remains have been recovered from beneath destroyed buildings across Gaza since November 2025. They also estimate that over 8,000 people remain buried under the rubble. Turk expressed concern that the remains recovered so far could be "only the tip of the iceberg," given that large parts of Gaza have been flattened by Israeli bombing or demolition and clearance operations.
Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN human rights office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stated that Israeli restrictions on items like DNA kits and excavators were impeding recovery and identification efforts, making systematic search and recovery work "nearly impossible." Turk called for international investigators to be allowed into all parts of Gaza to help gather evidence, noting that Israel refuses entry of heavy machinery for removing rubble.
Israel has repeatedly rejected allegations that it deliberately targets civilians, stating that it acted in accordance with international law while fighting Hamas militants. Ambassador Danny Danon accused Turk of ignoring Hamas's abuses and prematurely accusing Israel before facts are established.