Gaza Strip: Thousands of Palestinians believed to be buried beneath the rubble in Gaza may never be identified unless recovery operations are accelerated, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned.
According to The Guardian, ongoing efforts to recover bodies are being hampered by restricted access to heavy machinery, while the passage of time is increasing the risk of losing crucial evidence needed for identification.
Race against time
Pat Griffiths, the ICRC spokesperson in Jerusalem, said delays in recovering remains could significantly complicate efforts to establish victims’ identities.
“The longer it takes for human remains to be recovered, the more difficult it can be to identify them,” Griffiths said.
He warned that bodies trapped beneath collapsed buildings may deteriorate to the point where forensic specialists are unable to rely on physical characteristics or surrounding evidence to confirm identities.
Vast destruction complicates recovery
Gaza’s residents and rescue workers are searching through an estimated 61 million tonnes of debris left by the war. Health authorities in the enclave believe at least 10,000 people remain buried beneath the rubble, although some estimates place the figure at around 14,000.
Recovery teams have been forced to depend largely on manual labour and basic tools to locate and retrieve remains. Humanitarian organisations say the absence of excavators and other specialised equipment has slowed operations considerably.
The ICRC said it continues to urge authorities to permit the entry of machinery needed to reach areas where bodies are believed to be trapped.
Israeli officials contacted by The Guardian reportedly said approval had not been granted for such equipment to enter Gaza.
Families seek closure
The Red Cross cautioned that environmental exposure, shifting debris and the loss of personal effects could erase valuable clues needed to identify victims.
“We see the scale of the task and we see what’s at stake,” Griffiths said. “Thousands of families are still seeking answers.”
The warning comes as Gaza continues to grapple with the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. Nearly 73,000 people have reportedly been killed in Israeli attacks despite a ceasefire that has been in place since October.
In February, the Palestinian Civil Defence said about 8,000 bodies remained trapped beneath destroyed buildings across the territory. It also reported that more than 3,000 people were still missing, with their whereabouts unknown.
The United Nations Environment Programme has described the debris left by the conflict as unprecedented, estimating that it exceeds the combined rubble generated by all previous conflicts in Gaza since 2008 by a factor of 20.
