UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has raised fresh concerns over possible war crimes in Gaza following the recovery of hundreds of bodies and human remains from beneath buildings destroyed during Israel’s military campaign.
Turk said remains believed to belong to entire families were being recovered from the rubble, with women and children among many of the victims.
“It is heartbreaking that the loved ones of those missing for so long are only now having their worst fears confirmed,” Turk said in a statement.
He said the discoveries had renewed concerns outlined in a 2024 UN report, which found that Israeli attacks on residential buildings and other civilian locations during the early stages of the war may have breached international humanitarian law.
Israeli authorities have repeatedly denied allegations that their forces deliberately target civilians, maintaining that military operations are conducted in accordance with international law. The Israeli prime minister’s office and foreign ministry did not immediately comment on the latest allegations.
According to the UN, Israel’s military campaign has generated an estimated 61 million tonnes of rubble and debris across Gaza since October 2023. Clearing the debris could take up to seven years.
A US-brokered ceasefire in October 2025 ended the full-scale offensive, but Israeli strikes have continued regularly.
Palestinian Civil Defence officials said more than 630 bodies and human remains had been recovered from beneath destroyed buildings across Gaza since November 2025.
Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 8,000 people remain buried under the rubble.
Turk warned that the number of remains recovered so far could represent only “the tip of the iceberg”, pointing to the widespread destruction caused by Israeli bombardment and subsequent demolition and clearance operations.
He also accused Israel of continuing demolition activities in areas where its forces remain deployed, saying bulldozers were operating without sufficient regard for people who may still be buried beneath the rubble.
Gaza health authorities say more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s military campaign.
The UN rights chief called for international investigators to be given access to all parts of Gaza to help preserve potential evidence, particularly as legal proceedings examining alleged violations during the conflict continue.
Turk also said Israel had prevented heavy machinery required for clearing the vast quantities of rubble from entering Gaza.
UN expert on the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese has stressed that evidence should be documented and human remains identified before large-scale clearance operations begin.
Earlier this month, Palestinian Civil Defence reported recovering 96 bodies and human remains from a single location in Gaza City’s Zeitoun area. The remains included 58 children and 23 women.
