The UN has urged Israel to allow international investigators unrestricted access to Gaza, warning that bodies still being recovered from destroyed areas nearly three years into the conflict could provide evidence of possible war crimes.
Palestinian civil defense officials said that more than 630 bodies and other remains have been retrieved from ruined buildings since last year.
Over 8,000 people are still believed to be buried under debris. Israel’s restrictions on the entry of heavy excavation equipment into the Palestinian territory have left local crews carrying out much of the recovery work manually.
“The remains of what appears to be entire families are now being unearthed at locations that were pulverized by Israeli attacks,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk.
“It is heartbreaking that the loved ones of those missing for so long are only now having their worst fears confirmed.”
The UN also warned that bulldozing was continuing in areas where Israeli troops remain deployed, potentially disturbing bodies and destroying evidence relevant to ongoing legal proceedings and future investigations.
Meanwhile, a fragile ceasefire remains in place between Israel and Hamas, but it has failed to end the violence, while negotiations for a permanent end to the war remain deadlocked.
Palestinian authorities said Israeli forces have killed at least 1,200 people since the truce took effect in October 2025.
The overall death toll from Israel’s military campaign has risen to over 73,400 since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities, with women and children accounting for a large proportion of those killed.
Genocide Finding and International Court Cases
The latest warning comes after a separate UN Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, citing mass killings, serious physical and psychological harm, the deliberate imposition of life-threatening conditions, and measures intended to prevent births.
According to the commission, statements by Israeli officials and the broader pattern of Israel’s conduct demonstrated genocidal intent.
This conduct included starvation, restrictions on humanitarian aid, and the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare and education systems.
Israel’s conduct in Gaza is also facing scrutiny from international courts.
The International Court of Justice is examining South Africa’s ongoing genocide case against Israel, while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
