UN Expert Warns Gaza Rubble Removal Could Destroy War Crimes Evidence

The United Nations has warned that Israel’s removal of rubble across Gaza could destroy evidence relevant to investigations into alleged war crimes and genocide. Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, said on September 7, 2026, that states and companies involved in clearing the debris could face international criminal responsibility if evidence of crimes is destroyed. Albanese cited an International Court of Justice order issued two years earlier requiring Israel to take effective measures to prevent the destruction of evidence connected to allegations under the Genocide Convention. She argued that Gaza’s reconstruction must not depend on erasing the physical evidence of the conflict. Her comments come as Israel faces sustained criticism over its conduct during the war, which Albanese has described as genocidal. According to the article, the Israeli military conducted a major operation in August to crush, mix and transport millions of tonnes of rubble from multiple locations, including cemeteries and sites where human remains are believed to be located. The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said the debris removal could constitute demographic engineering and an effort to erase evidence of genocide. Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 8,000 people remain buried beneath the rubble. Many families are still searching for the remains of relatives, while Israel continues to restrict the entry of heavy machinery and forensic supplies needed for recovery and identification. The humanitarian and emotional consequences were highlighted by funeral ceremonies held in northern Gaza for about 100 people whose remains had been recovered from destroyed buildings in Gaza City. The group reportedly included 60 children. Raed al-Dahshan, head of Gaza’s civil defence service, said that recovery operations could be completed in approximately 90 days if proper equipment were available, but could take years without it.

United Nations special rapporteur Francesca Albanese warned that Israel’s ongoing removal, crushing, and relocation of rubble in parts of Gaza could destroy evidence relevant to investigations into alleged international crimes, including genocide. She said rubble in the war-ravaged territory contains human remains and physical evidence and cited Palestinian estimates that more than 10,000 people remain buried beneath the debris. Albanese argued that the rubble should be treated as a crime scene and graveyard rather than ordinary construction waste. She called for the recovery and dignified identification of human remains, systematic documentation of sites, preservation of evidence, and an unbroken chain of custody under independent oversight before rubble is moved or crushed. She also urged international criminal investigators to supervise the process and warned that countries and companies involved in destroying evidence could face international criminal responsibility. The article reports that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, launched after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, including more than 1,330 since a ceasefire agreed the previous October. The article also cites an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures stating that 1,221 people were killed in the Hamas attack. Albanese cited the recovery and burial of the remains of 112 members of one family from beneath buildings destroyed in Gaza City in November 2023, while 41 others killed in the same strike remain unaccounted for. Israel had not immediately responded to her statement. The report also notes that Albanese, who was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but does not speak for the UN, has faced criticism from Israel and its allies and was sanctioned by the United States after criticizing Washington’s Gaza policy.

A United Nations expert has warned that the large-scale removal, crushing and relocation of rubble in parts of Gaza under Israeli control could destroy crucial evidence of alleged international crimes and obstruct the recovery and identification of human remains. Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, said in a statement that the consequences of the debris removal were “profound” because Gaza’s rubble constitutes a material record of the war. Albanese cited estimates from Palestinian authorities that more than 10,000 people may remain buried beneath debris across the war-ravaged enclave. She said the rubble could contain both human remains and physical evidence relevant to investigations into alleged crimes, including genocide. According to Albanese, she had received credible information from multiple sources about the deliberate and widespread removal, crushing and transportation of rubble during the previous month. The article notes that Albanese, an Italian-born independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022, has faced strong criticism from Israel and some of its allies because of her repeated accusations that Israel is committing genocide and other war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. It also clarifies that, although she holds a UN mandate, she does not speak on behalf of the United Nations as an institution. The warning centers on the potential loss of forensic and historical evidence. If debris is moved or destroyed before remains and material traces are documented, investigators could face greater difficulty determining what happened during the conflict and identifying those who died. The report therefore presents rubble removal not merely as a reconstruction or clearance operation, but as an action with significant implications for accountability and future investigations.

A United Nations expert has warned that the large-scale removal, crushing and relocation of rubble in parts of Gaza under Israeli control could destroy evidence of alleged atrocity crimes, including genocide, and hinder the recovery and identification of human remains. Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, said she had received credible information from multiple sources about deliberate and widespread rubble-clearing activities in August. Albanese stressed that Gaza’s debris is not merely construction waste. It may contain human remains, crime-scene evidence and a physical record of the destruction caused during Israel’s two-year war against Hamas. Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 10,000 people remain buried beneath the rubble. Albanese cited the August recovery and burial of 112 members of an extended family whose remains were found beneath buildings destroyed in Gaza City in November 2023. The remains of 41 other people killed in the same strike have not been located. She called for the recovery and dignified identification of human remains, systematic documentation of destroyed sites, preservation of evidence and an unbroken chain of custody under independent oversight before rubble is moved, crushed or removed. She also urged international criminal investigators to supervise evidence collection and warned governments and companies involved in the process that destroying evidence of international crimes could expose them to criminal responsibility. The article places the warning within the broader context of the war, which began after Hamas’s Oct 7, 2023 attack in Israel. It reports that more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, including more than 1,330 after an October 2025 ceasefire, while an AFP tally based on Israeli figures puts the number killed in the Hamas attack at 1,221. Israel did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Albanese has faced strong criticism from Israel and some allies, and the United States has sanctioned her over her criticism of Washington’s Gaza policy.