Israel lacking respect for dead buried in Gaza rubble: UN

Human rights chief reiterates concern over war crimes evidence as remains from entire families are unearthed.

Collapsed buildings in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip [File: Bashar Taleb/AFP]

Areas in war-devastated Gaza continue to be razed by Israeli bulldozers with “no respect for the dead”, the United Nations’ human rights chief has said.

Volker Turk criticised Israel’s actions in clearing rubble in the enclave in a statement issued on Tuesday. His words come as the discovery of “extensive” remains have heightened concerns that evidence of war crimes is being destroyed or concealed.

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“Much of Gaza has been flattened by Israeli bombing or demolition and clearing by heavy machinery and explosives,” he said, warning that areas where the Israeli military remains deployed “continue to be levelled by bulldozers with no respect for the dead under the rubble”.

Smoke and fire rise after a house was targeted by an Israeli strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on September 9, 2026 [AFP]

The UN human rights chief said the remains of what appeared to be entire families were being unearthed from sites that were destroyed during Israeli attacks, adding that many victims were women and children.

“It is heartbreaking that the loved ones of those missing for so long are only now having their worst ⁠fears confirmed,” he said.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has generated about 61 million tonnes of wreckage and debris. It could take seven years to clear the debris, the UN has estimated.

A US-brokered “ceasefire” in October 2025 has failed to halt regular Israeli strikes and attacks, with more than 1,300 Palestinians killed since the “truce” came into effect, according to Gaza officials.

Widespread destruction

Palestinian Civil Defence says more than 630 bodies and human remains have been recovered from beneath destroyed buildings across Gaza since November 2025.

Palestinian authorities estimate more than 8,000 people remain buried in the wreckage.

Turk said he feared the remains recovered ⁠so far could be “only the tip of the iceberg,” noting that large parts of Gaza had been flattened ⁠by Israeli bombing or later demolition and clearance operations.

The UN official also reiterated his concerns over Israel’s conduct , including its extensive use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, which he said failed to effectively distinguish between civilians and fighters.

“The discovery of extensive remains under the rubble in Gaza City resurfaces these concerns of war crimes and other atrocity crimes,” he added.

“The reported killing of large numbers of family members, including children, women and persons with disabilities, in attacks on residential buildings, raises grave concerns regarding compliance with the rules governing the conduct of hostilities,” he said.

On September 6, Palestinians in northern Gaza held funerals for about 100 people , including 60 children, whose remains were recovered from the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Despite last year’s agreement to halt the hostilities, the Israeli military continues its operations in Gaza.

One Palestinian was killed by sniper fire in the north of the enclave on Tuesday.

The man was in the Jabalia refugee camp when he was shot by a sniper positioned on a high-rise crane, Al Jazeera reporters said.

At least two other people were killed in an Israeli drone attack on an industrial area of Gaza City, according to a source from the enclave’s Ambulance and Emergencies service.

人权事务高级专员再次对战争罪行证据表示关切，因为有整户家庭的遗骸被挖掘出来。

加沙地带南部汗尤尼斯市倒塌的建筑物 [图片：Bashar Taleb/AFP]

联合国人权事务高级专员表示，在饱受战争蹂躏的加沙地带，以色列推土机继续夷平部分地区，“对死者毫无尊重”。

沃尔克·图尔克周二发表声明，批评以色列清理飞地废墟的行为。此前，大量遗骸的发现加剧了人们对战争罪行证据被销毁或掩盖的担忧。

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他说：“加沙的大部分地区已被以色列的轰炸或重型机械和炸药夷为平地”，并警告说，以色列军队仍然部署的地区“继续被推土机夷为平地，完全不顾废墟下的死者”。

2026年9月9日，以色列空袭加沙地带南部汗尤尼斯的一栋房屋后，浓烟和火焰升腾。[法新社]

联合国人权事务高级专员表示，在以色列袭击中被摧毁的遗址中，人们挖掘出了似乎是整个家庭的遗骸，并补充说，许多受害者是妇女和儿童。

他说：“令人心碎的是，那些失踪已久的人的亲人现在才发现，他们最害怕的事情终于发生了。”

以色列对加沙发动的种族灭绝战争造成了约6100万吨的废墟和瓦砾。联合国估计，清理这些瓦砾可能需要七年时间。

据加沙官员称，美国斡旋达成的2025年10月“停火”协议未能阻止以色列的定期空袭和袭击，自“停火”生效以来，已有超过1300名巴勒斯坦人丧生。

大范围破坏

巴勒斯坦民防部门表示，自 2025 年 11 月以来，已从加沙各地被毁建筑物下发现了 630 多具尸体和遗骸。

巴勒斯坦当局估计，仍有超过 8000 人被埋在废墟中。

特克表示，他担心目前找到的遗骸可能“只是冰山一角”，并指出加沙的大部分地区已被以色列的轰炸或后来的拆除和清理行动夷为平地。

这位联合国官员还重申了他对以色列行为的担忧，包括其在人口稠密地区广泛使用爆炸性武器，他表示，这种做法未能有效区分平民和战斗人员。

“在加沙城废墟下发现大量遗骸，再次引发了人们对战争罪行和其他暴行罪行的担忧，”他补充道。

他说：“据报道，在对居民楼的袭击中，大量家庭成员，包括儿童、妇女和残疾人，被杀害，这令人严重关切敌对行动行为是否遵守相关规则。”

9月6日，加沙北部巴勒斯坦人为约100人举行了葬礼，其中包括60名儿童，他们的遗骸是从被毁建筑物的废墟中找到的。

尽管去年达成了停止敌对行动的协议，但以色列军队仍在加沙继续开展军事行动。

周二，一名巴勒斯坦人在飞地北部被狙击手射杀。

半岛电视台记者称，这名男子当时在贾巴利亚难民营，被一名设在高楼起重机上的狙击手射杀。

据加沙地带救护和紧急服务部门的消息人士称，以色列无人机袭击加沙城工业区，造成至少两人死亡。