Euro-Med Monitor: Israel moves Gaza rubble to erase evidence of genocide crimes

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor accused Israel of carrying out a systematic operation to remove and crush rubble from destroyed buildings in Gaza and transport it into Israel, aiming to erase evidence of genocide crimes and obstruct legal accountability. It noted the operation of about 400 machines and 100 trucks daily, with about 10 million tons of rubble removed, and the remains of about 8,500 missing persons still under the debris. It called on the international community to intervene and send international investigation teams.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor today accused the Israeli occupation authorities of carrying out a systematic operation to remove and crush rubble from destroyed buildings in the Gaza Strip and transport it into Israel, a step it said aims to erase evidence related to genocide crimes and obstruct efforts for legal accountability. The Monitor explained that the occupation operates about 400 machines to crush debris in areas under its military control, along with about 100 trucks that transport rubble daily to unknown sites inside Israel, noting that preliminary estimates indicate the removal or crushing of about 10 million tons of rubble. It pointed out that the transported rubble includes sites that witnessed murder crimes and mass graves, stressing that removing this rubble separates physical evidence from its spatial context, threatening the integrity of future investigations. It added that the remains of about 8,500 missing persons are still under the rubble, being crushed and mixed with debris due to the use of crushers without any surveys or forensic documentation. The Monitor also stated that the rubble contains private property and essential building materials, considering that removing them from the Gaza Strip without compensating their owners constitutes confiscation and looting prohibited under international law. It warned that the deliberate emptying of crime scenes threatens the path of legal accountability and represents tampering with and destruction of evidence, hindering the work of the International Criminal Court. It also saw that these practices contribute to erasing land boundaries and property markers, serving to entrench forced displacement and ethnic cleansing and opening the door for re-settlement in the Gaza Strip. The Monitor called on the international community to urgently intervene to stop rubble removal operations and send international investigation teams to inspect and document destruction sites, urging states to hold companies involved in demolishing property accountable and prevent the removal of rubble before establishing an international and Palestinian system to manage it. It stressed that any future plans for rubble removal and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip must be Palestinian-led, with guarantees for preserving evidence, safeguarding property rights, and recovering residents' property.