Israeli clearance of Gaza rubble could destroy 'evidence,' says UN's Francesca Albanese

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese stated on Monday that Israeli clearance of an estimated 61 million tons of rubble in Gaza could destroy evidence of "atrocity crimes" and hinder the recovery of human remains. Albanese emphasized that the rubble is "part of a crime scene, a graveyard, and the material record of what happened" and called for evidence gathering and identification of remains before full clearance. She also asserted that Palestinians should lead any waste removal plans. Albanese's claims, which include unnamed Israeli companies being involved in clearance, have been met with past disagreements from Israeli officials and condemnations from several countries, including Germany, France, and Italy, regarding her critical stance on Israel's actions.