UN Rapporteur Calls Gaza Rubble a Crime Scene

Israel’s removal of rubble in the Gaza Strip could destroy valuable evidence of atrocities and prevent the recovery of human remains, Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, warned.

She described the 61 million metric tons of rubble left after two years of fighting as a crime scene, a cemetery and material evidence of the conflict. Albanese stressed that evidence should be collected, remains identified and Palestinians themselves involved in planning before any rubble is removed.

According to the special rapporteur, Israeli companies are involved in the cleanup, although her office did not specify the source of this information. Israeli authorities have not responded to the statement, but Albanese has long been one of Israel’s most vocal critics.

She has previously faced condemnation from Germany, France and Italy over her statements, while the US imposed sanctions on her in July over her efforts to initiate proceedings by the International Criminal Court against American and Israeli officials.

Gaza authorities report more than 73,000 deaths following the Israeli military operation and estimate that more than 8,000 people remain buried beneath the rubble. Israel maintains that it has sought to avoid civilian casualties and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

(Reuters, max)