UN Rights Chief Condemns Continued Bulldozing in Gaza
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has raised concerns that Israeli military bulldozers continue demolishing and clearing areas of Gaza, including locations where human remains may still be buried.
Türk said much of Gaza has already been destroyed through bombing, demolition and the use of heavy machinery and explosives. He warned that ongoing clearing operations could uncover the remains of entire families and that the bodies already being recovered may represent only a fraction of those still trapped beneath the rubble.
Gaza’s civil defence authorities estimate that around 8,000 Palestinian bodies remain under the rubble. More than 630 bodies and human remains were reportedly recovered between November 2025 and September 2026.
Türk called for the remains to be recovered and identified with dignity, while preserving forensic evidence and recording burial locations so families can be informed. He also urged international investigators to be given access to all parts of Gaza to document evidence relevant to ongoing legal proceedings.
The UN rights chief said reports of large numbers of civilians, including children, women and people with disabilities, being killed in attacks on residential buildings raise serious concerns about compliance with international humanitarian law. He called for effective investigations and accountability for those responsible.
Türk also stressed that recovering and burying the dead does not replace the need to establish how they died and urged states to cooperate in ensuring the recovery of bodies across Gaza.
