The International Committee of the Red Cross has said the risk that the thousands of Palestinians buried beneath Gaza\u2019s rubble may never be identified is increasing by the day, as recovery efforts remain slow and many victims have yet to be retrieved, the Guardian can reveal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no doubt that these bodies could soon become difficult to identify,\u201d said Pat Griffiths, the ICRC spokesperson in Jerusalem. \u201cThe 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 \u2013 even skeletonised \u2013 when eventually recovered.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cForensic experts lose access to circumstantial evidence that can be used to corroborate their identity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the fragile US-brokered ceasefire took hold in October, Palestinians have started digging through an estimated 61m tonnes of debris<\/a>, about 20 times the combined amount generated by conflicts worldwide since 2008. Beneath the rubble, at least 10,000 people are thought to be buried, according to health officials in Gaza. Some experts believe the number could be as high as 14,000<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rescue teams have so far been forced to rely on rudimentary tools<\/a> \u2013 shovels, pickaxes, wheelbarrows, rakes and hoes \u2013 as well as their bare hands. Repeated requests for Israel to allow the entry of excavators and other heavy machinery, which would significantly speed up recovery efforts, have gone unanswered.<\/p>\n \u201cSearch and recovery teams need access to all sites where human remains are thought to be located,\u201d Griffiths said. \u201cWe know that much of this machinery and equipment remains almost impossible to bring into Gaza right now. And it remains our call, and part of our ongoing direct dialogue with the relevant authorities, to allow the entry of these items and equipment into Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr Cristina Cattaneo: \u2018When it comes to identification, the more time passes, the slimmer the chances of success.\u2019 Photograph: Alessio Mamo\/The Guardian<\/p>\n The longer it takes to retrieve a body, the harder it becomes to identify \u2013 including by using DNA. Dr Cristina Cattaneo<\/a>, a professor of forensic pathology at the University of Milan, said: \u201cTime, ultimately, is the greatest enemy of identification. When it comes to identification, the more time passes, the slimmer the chances of success. In the early stages, if a body is relatively well preserved, the face and other distinguishing features may still be recognisable. As time passes, many of the features that allow for a reliable identification are lost.\u201d<\/p>\n When human remains are recovered, forensic experts can use age, sex, height, fingerprints, dental records and personal belongings, alongside details about where and when the body was found, to establish an identity. But the ICRC says the longer bodies remain unrecovered, the greater the risk that such evidence is lost. Remains can be displaced from their original location, personal effects destroyed or scattered, and environmental conditions \u2013 humidity and animal activity \u2013 can erase vital clues needed for identification.<\/p>\n Dr Ahmed Dahir, Gaza\u2019s forensic medicine director, said: \u201cIn some cases, we were surprised to find that a person reported missing for only two weeks had turned into bones bearing signs of animal scavenging<\/a>, with nothing left but bones. Under normal conditions, reaching this stage due to environmental factors and weathering usually takes between six months and one year.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr Ahmed Dahir, Gaza\u2019s forensic medicine director. \u2018In some cases, we were surprised to find that a person reported missing for only two weeks had turned into bones.\u2019 Photograph: Amjad Tantesh\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Witnesses have also raised concerns that Israeli military bulldozers operating in areas controlled by the Israel Defense Forces may be moving bodies still buried beneath the rubble, making it harder for families to locate and recover their loved ones.<\/p>\n The ICRC said it could not single out specific groups. \u201cBut what we can say is that certainly, in any armed conflict in any part of the world, heavy machinery must be used with incredible caution so as not to disturb human remains \u2013 to maintain the dignity of the deceased, but also to ensure that crucial information that could be used to identify them isn\u2019t lost.\u201d<\/p>\n