Red Cross: Thousands of bodies under Gaza rubble may never be identified

Elaha Mon Jun 2026 3 months ago 563

Pete Griffiths, a Red Cross spokesperson in Jerusalem, said that with each passing day, a portion of the criminal evidence is lost and the process of identifying victims becomes more difficult.


Following the establishment of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the United States in October of last year, search operations began to locate bodies amid millions of tons of rubble. The volume of remaining debris in Gaza is estimated to reach around 61 million tons—a figure that experts say is several times greater than the rubble left from many of the major conflicts in recent years.


Nevertheless, rescue and search teams continue their work with limited resources and rudimentary tools, including shovels, picks, and sometimes bare hands. Meanwhile, requests to allow heavy excavation machinery into Gaza have so far not received Israel's approval.


Griffiths emphasized that search teams must have access to all areas where human remains might be present. He added that access to necessary equipment is currently facing serious restrictions, and discussions with relevant authorities to obtain permits are ongoing.


Meanwhile, Israeli officials have told The Guardian that permission has not yet been granted for the necessary equipment to enter Gaza for body recovery.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that as time passes, the chances of finding and identifying thousands of Palestinians buried under the rubble in Gaza are steadily diminishing. According to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 10,000 people remain trapped under the debris; however, some estimates put this figure as high as 14,000.

ilaha

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