SAFA — More than 93% of cemeteries across the Gaza Strip have been damaged or bulldozed by Israeli occupation forces, threatening to destroy evidence that could be vital to identifying victims and pursuing international accountability for alleged war crimes, Mohammed Salha, director of the Palestinian NGO Network in Gaza, warned Wednesday.

Salha said widespread earthmoving and demolition operations risk destroying physical evidence and could make future investigations and accountability efforts increasingly difficult.

“These operations make it harder to reach sites and evidence that could help identify victims and determine where they were buried,” Salha said.

He warned that human remains, personal belongings, and remnants of weapons and military equipment could be buried, scattered or destroyed as rubble is moved and crushed in areas under Israeli military control.

Such operations, he added, could further complicate efforts to identify victims and recover their remains.

Salha also said Israeli forces have prevented human rights organizations, international investigative teams and humanitarian workers from accessing areas within what is known as the “Yellow Line,” hindering documentation and field investigations.

He called on the International Criminal Court to urgently dispatch investigative teams to Gaza to inspect affected sites and document evidence related to alleged Israeli violations.

Salha warned that continued bulldozing and rubble removal could result in the permanent loss of critical evidence needed for future international investigations and potential prosecutions.

Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 174,000, according to Palestinian health authorities cited in the report.

The war has also caused widespread destruction across the besieged territory, with approximately 90% of its infrastructure reported to have been damaged or destroyed.