Colombia’s Experience Could Help Locate More Than 10,000 Missing People in Gaza

The search for missing persons in Gaza is a pressing issue, with estimates suggesting that over 8,000 people may be buried beneath the rubble since the Hamas attack in 2023. The Palestinian Civil Defense has recovered 329 bodies, mostly women and children, since late June to mid-September. However, the extraction process is slow and hampered by a lack of machinery, fuel, and personnel.

The current pace could take at least ten years to complete. Colombia's experience could provide valuable insights into locating missing people in Gaza. The Search Unit for Persons Deemed Missing (UBPD) in Colombia, established after the 2016 Peace Agreement, offers a humanitarian and extrajudicial approach. It does not aim to determine criminal responsibility, allowing for immediate searches without waiting for conflicts to end or justice mechanisms to be established.

The UBPD emphasizes the need for comprehensive systems to consolidate records, avoid duplication, and facilitate the identification of remains through coordination with forensic specialists. While criminal investigations will follow their own course, the Colombian model can help provide answers to thousands of families in Gaza who still do not know what happened to their loved ones.