Report: Israeli forces systematically clearing rubble to erase war crimes

The Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reports that roughly 10 million tons of rubble have already been shifted from sites under Israeli military control. Using approximately 400 pieces of heavy machinery, forces are clearing destroyed neighborhoods before international investigators can survey the areas. This activity risks permanently erasing evidence of summary executions, mass graves, and the specific circumstances surrounding the deaths of civilians.

According to the group, the debris contains vital forensic data—including biological traces, weapon fragments, and personal belongings—necessary for establishing the chain of custody for potential criminal prosecutions. By crushing and transporting this material, operators are effectively disrupting the ability to link specific destruction to individual incidents or victims. This systematic clearing occurs while thousands of Palestinians remain missing under the remains of nearly 200,000 damaged or destroyed buildings.

Legal experts suggest that the commercial exploitation of this rubble without consent may constitute unlawful confiscation under international humanitarian law. The current actions appear to be part of a broader trend of altering the landscape of Gaza, which includes the bulldozing of potential mass graves and the destruction of medical facilities. Euro-Med has called on states where manufacturers of the heavy equipment operate to intervene and mandate an immediate halt to these clearing operations, arguing that any reconstruction efforts must be led by local residents to ensure the protection of evidence and the recovery of the missing.