Thousands of Palestinian victims under rubble in Gaza may never be identified: Report
The death toll from over two years of relentless Israeli bombardment is likely vastly higher than the roughly 72,000 reported by the Gaza Health Ministry
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that thousands of Palestinians buried beneath Gaza’s rubble may never be identified, as recovery efforts remain slow and Israel continues to block the entry of desperately needed equipment into the strip, the Guardian reported on 14 June.
“There is no doubt that these bodies could soon become difficult to identify,” said Pat Griffiths, the ICRC spokesperson in Jerusalem.
“The longer it takes for human remains to be recovered, the more difficult it can be to identify them. The longer the deceased lie beneath the rubble, the more likely they will be in advanced stages of decomposition – even skeletonized – when eventually recovered.”
He added that as more time passes, forensic experts lose access to circumstantial evidence that helps to confirm a victim’s identity.
Israel mercilessly bombed Gaza for two years before a ceasefire was reached between Hamas and Israel in October of last year. The bombing left some 10,000 people buried beneath the rubble of destroyed homes, buildings, hospitals, and schools, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Some experts believe the number of bodies yet to be recovered could be as high as 14,000, the Guardian noted.
Since the ceasefire, Palestinians have begun the grueling task of digging through an estimated 61 million tons of debris.
Progress is slow as rescue teams have been forced to rely on basic tools, such as shovels, pickaxes, wheelbarrows, rakes, hoes, and even their bare hands, to uncover bodies.
Israel has refused repeated requests to allow the entry of excavators and other heavy machinery needed to remove the rubble, making the staggering task many times slower and more difficult.
“Search and recovery teams need access to all sites where human remains are thought to be located,” the ICRC spokesperson said. “We know that much of this machinery and equipment remains almost impossible to bring into Gaza right now.”
As more time passes, the chance of confirming victims’ identities diminishes. Physical features that can help in identification, including age, sex, height, fingerprints, dental records, and personal belongings, are soon lost, the ICRC says.
Genetic material needed for DNA identification also deteriorates over time. “A genetic match that might have been rapid and highly reliable a few weeks earlier can become far more complex months later,” explained Dr. Cristina Cattaneo, a professor of forensic pathology at the University of Milan.
Gaza’s devastated hospitals also lack the equipment for DNA testing, and Israel refuses to allow DNA testing materials to enter the strip.
The problems are made worse by Israeli military bulldozers working to systematically demolish structures in Gaza, in a bid to prevent Palestinians from ever returning to the their homes. While demolishing buildings, the bulldozers may move and damage bodies still buried beneath the rubble or bury them further.
For Palestinians, not knowing the fate of a missing loved one, whether they are dead or detained in Israel’s prisons known for horrific torture, is devastating.
Saed al-Yazji told the Guardian that his brother, Sameh, 40, disappeared on 7 October 2023 as Israel began the two-year bombing campaign in Gaza that was soon recognized across the world as a genocide.
“We have had no information about him since that day,’’ said Yazji, 52. “We still cling to the hope that he is alive because there has been no confirmation that he was killed or detained. We wait every day for news that might finally bring peace to our hearts.”
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli forces have killed over 72,000 Palestinians in the strip. The majority are women and children.
However, independent estimates suggest the death toll is vastly higher. A German and Spanish research team from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) and the Center for Demographic Studies (CED) estimated that as of November 2025, the violent death toll had likely exceeded 100,000.
Some scholars and scientists estimate the death toll in Gaza may exceed 600,000 when indirect effects of the war are considered, such as the impact of destroyed infrastructure, malnutrition, and disease.