Gaza’s Buried Families Renew UN Fears of War Crimes

At one site in Az Zeitoun, southeast of Gaza City, Civil Defence teams said they recovered 96 bodies and human remains this month from a location reportedly struck in November 2023.

Families in Gaza are receiving confirmation of losses they have feared for almost three years, as rescue teams uncover human remains beneath homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said the discoveries, including large numbers of children and women, raise serious concerns about possible war crimes and demand investigations into how the victims died. For relatives who have spent years without answers, recovering those buried offers the possibility of a dignified funeral, though identification alone cannot explain why entire households appear to have been killed.

Families Found Beneath Their Homes

The Palestinian Civil Defence reports recovering more than 630 bodies and other human remains from destroyed buildings across Gaza between November 2025 and September 2026, with more than 8,000 people estimated to remain missing beneath the rubble. Between 27 June and 27 August, teams recovered 233 of the 407 bodies believed to lie under 20 destroyed buildings, mostly in Gaza City. Those recovered included 74 children and 106 women, figures that underline the scale of loss among families whose homes became burial sites.

At one site in Az Zeitoun, southeast of Gaza City, Civil Defence teams said they recovered 96 bodies and human remains this month from a location reportedly struck in November 2023. The reported toll included 58 children and 23 women, with most remains recovered using bare hands. The press release says Israel refuses to allow the entry of heavy machinery needed to remove rubble, leaving recovery teams facing the enormous task of reaching people buried beneath collapsed buildings with limited equipment.

A Search for Answers and Evidence

"The remains of what appear to be entire families are now being unearthed at locations that were pulverised by Israeli attacks," Türk said, describing the heartbreak of relatives whose worst fears are being confirmed. He warned that the discoveries could represent only a small share of those buried across Gaza and expressed concern about continued bulldozing in areas where Israeli forces are deployed, saying the work showed no respect for the dead beneath the debris.

Türk called for international investigators to be allowed into every part of Gaza and for evidence at destroyed sites to be protected, citing ongoing legal proceedings concerning the conduct of hostilities. His appeal includes documenting and identifying victims, preserving forensic information and biological samples, recording burial locations and informing families. These steps could help establish who died and support investigations into the attacks, giving relatives a clearer account of what happened to people whose fate has remained unknown for years.

Recovery Must Come With Accountability

A 2024 UN Human Rights Office report examined Israeli attacks between 9 October and 2 December 2023 involving bombs weighing up to 2,000 pounds, with strikes hitting residential buildings, a school, refugee camps and a market and killing more than 200 people. It concluded that the attacks may have breached fundamental rules of international humanitarian law, including requirements to distinguish civilians from fighters, avoid disproportionate civilian harm and take precautions during attacks. Türk said the latest discoveries bring renewed urgency to those concerns.

The High Commissioner said Israel has obligations under international law to search for missing people and recover, identify and respectfully handle the dead, preserving potential evidence in areas under its forces' control. He stressed that burial cannot replace an investigation into the circumstances of death, particularly where attacks on homes reportedly killed numerous relatives, including children, women and people with disabilities. Families deserve the full truth, he said, calling for effective investigations, accountability where violations are established and international cooperation to help recover victims throughout Gaza.