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Israel Gaza rubble removal controversy

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2026-08-05 08:46 UTC → 2026-08-06 00:19 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In early August 2026, human‑rights monitors reported that Israel had begun a large‑scale operation to crush and transport Gaza rubble. About 400 civilian‑operated machines were said to be loading debris onto up to 100 trucks a day, moving at least 10 million tonnes of material out of areas under Israeli military control to undisclosed locations in Israel and the southern West Bank. The Mediterranean Observatory for Human Rights warned that the activity was not part of rescue or reconstruction but aimed to erase physical evidence of alleged war crimes, urging the International Criminal Court to investigate. The following day, additional details emerged about the forces involved. Israeli Unit 2640‑Uriah, an irregular unit of the Gaza Division, together with civilian contractors, was identified as leading the rubble‑clearing effort. Euro‑Med Human Rights Monitor estimated that the 10 million tonnes removed represented a fraction of the roughly 68 million tonnes of debris across Gaza. The operation continued without official records, independent oversight, or coordination with forensic teams, heightening concerns that vital evidence of war crimes and victims’ remains could be lost. By August 3, monitors confirmed that the clearance had already moved at least 10 million tonnes, with daily dispatches of about 100 trucks to undisclosed sites in Israel and the occupied West Bank. The Euro‑Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reiterated that the speed and secrecy risk destroying evidence of alleged war crimes, including possible mass‑grave locations and the remains of an estimated 8,500 missing persons. A joint UN, World Bank and EU damage assessment put total rubble at more than 68 million tonnes, estimating reconstruction costs above $71 billion and $1.7 billion needed solely for debris removal. The International Criminal Court has issued indictments against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister for war‑crimes related to the conflict.

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