Israeli clearance of Gaza rubble could destroy 'evidence,' says UN's Francesca Albanese

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has warned that Israel's clearance of Gaza rubble could destroy crucial evidence of atrocity crimes, making it impossible to recover human remains. The war in Gaza has produced about 61 million tons of debris, which the UN estimates would take seven years to clear, according to Albanese. She emphasized that evidence should be collected and human remains identified before any starting the clearance process.

Albanese stated that Palestinians should be involved in any plans to remove waste, noting that rubble is not just construction waste but also represents a crime scene, a graveyard, and the material record of the brutal bombing campaign that lasted two years. She alleged that Israeli companies are involved in the clearance operations, though she did not name them.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry, Prime Minister's Office, and the IDF did not respond to requests for comment. Albanese has faced criticism from the Israeli government and has been sanctioned by the US, which accused her of prompting the ICC to take action against US and Israeli officials. The October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages, while more than 73,000 Palestinians were killed in Israel's military campaign.

Israel claims it has taken measures to minimize civilian casualties and insists that Hamas uses Gaza's civilians as human shields in densely populated areas.