A UN expert has said that Israeli clearance of rubble in Gaza could destroy valuable evidence of "atrocity crimes" and prevent the recovery of human remains.
Israel’s genocide in Gaza has generated around 61 million tonnes of wreckage and debris that could take seven years to clear, according to the United Nations.
Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, said on Monday that evidence should be gathered and human remains identified before full clearance starts.
She issued a statement headlined "UN expert warns Israeli rubble-clearing could erase traces of atrocity crimes" and said Palestinians should be behind any plans to remove waste.
In January 2024, the ICJ ordered Israel to take effective measures to prevent the destruction of and ensure the preservation of evidence relating to allegations of breaches of the Genocide Convention.
"In devastated Gaza, rubble is not just construction waste. It is part of a crime scene, a graveyard, and the material record of what happened during a brutal and senseless bombing campaign that lasted two years,” she said.
She said that multiple sources had confirmed Israeli companies were involved in the clearance, without naming those sources.
Albanese warned that through the use of heavy machinery, demolition and levelling have continued in areas under Israeli occupation.
In a statement, Palestinian resistance group Hamas said it appreciated Albanese's warning and urged that the rubble be removed in a manner that "ensures the recovery of the remains of missing persons and the preservation of evidence."
Palestinian authorities estimate more than 10,000 people remain buried in the wreckage.
A Palestinian recovery team that combed through the wreckage in Gaza City last month said it found the remains of 112 people from the same clan.
Overall, the genocide in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 174,000.
Israel has breached the ceasefire in effect since October 10, 2025, almost daily.
Palestinian figures indicate Israeli violations have killed 1,344 Palestinians and wounded 4,464 others since the truce began.
