The large-scale removal and crushing of rubble across Gaza risks destroying crucial physical evidence of war crimes and preventing the identification of thousands of missing individuals, according to a United Nations human rights expert speaking out on September 7, 2026.
A United Nations official issued a stark warning regarding the ongoing clearance operations in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, stated that the heavy machinery operating in regions under Israeli control threatens the material record of a two-year bombing campaign.
Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 8,000 people remain buried under the debris in Gaza, while separate estimates cited by The New Arab place the figure at more than 10,000 missing individuals trapped underneath collapsed infrastructure.
Crime Scenes, Graveyards, and the Scale of Debris Removal
The Israeli military carried out large-scale operations involving the crushing, mixing, and transport of millions of tonnes of debris from numerous locations, including cemeteries and sites where human remains are known to rest. EFE reported that at least 92 percent of Gaza’s homes and a significant portion of its civilian infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed during the conflict.
Francesca Albanese, United Nations special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, stated via The New Arab that Gaza’s rubble contains human remains and physical evidence relevant to the investigation of alleged international crimes, including genocide.
In her statement, Albanese emphasized that the debris functions as much more than standard construction waste. In the devastated territory, the rubble serves as a material record of the bombing campaign.
Francesca Albanese, United Nations special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, stated via EFE that in devastated Gaza, rubble is not just construction waste, but 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.
Corporate Involvement and International Criminal Warnings
Demolition and leveling work on buildings inside Gaza has continued in areas under Israeli control following the October 2025 ceasefire. This work utilizes heavy machinery supplied by multinational firms, including Caterpillar, HD Hyundai, Doosan, and Volvo.
In response to these industrial-scale clearing operations, Albanese issued a direct legal caution to corporations and participating states.
Francesca Albanese, United Nations special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, stated via Al Jazeera that destroying evidence of atrocity crimes is illegal, and that it is unacceptable for the reconstruction of Gaza to be conditioned upon the erasure of its past and the evidence required to secure justice for its victims.
The expert stated that countries and companies involved in the removal operations could incur international criminal responsibility if they proceed with actions that destroy potential evidence of international crimes.
The Search for Human Remains Amid Ceasefire Realities
Despite the immense obstacles posed by blocked heavy machinery and a lack of forensic supplies, recovery efforts continue when access permits. On August 4, search operations successfully recovered the remains of 112 victims, who were subsequently given a burial. Among them were 112 members of one extended civilian family whose remains were pulled from buildings destroyed in November 2023.
![Albanese [Getty]](https://www.newarab.com/sites/default/files/styles/new_arab_overlay_medium_16_9/public/2275152274.jpeg?itok=ZJjS9HyE "Photo: newarab.com")
The statement regarding the November 2023 bombardment noted that the remains of 41 others killed in the same strike were never located,
Furthermore, Palestinians in northern Gaza held funeral ceremonies for approximately 100 people, including 60 children, whose remains were recovered from the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza City. Raed al-Dahshan, the head of Gaza’s civil defence service, noted that with proper equipment, recovering remaining bodies from under the debris could be completed in about 90 days, though it could take years without the necessary machinery.
Albanese insisted that any future debris removal or reconstruction framework must be designed by Palestinians and supported by trusted actors, ensuring an unbroken chain of custody under independent international oversight to preserve evidence for victims seeking justice.
