Thousands of Palestinians trapped beneath the rubble in Gaza may never be identified, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned, citing slow recovery efforts and the large number of bodies yet to be retrieved, The Guardian reported on Sunday.
"There is no doubt that these bodies could soon become difficult to identify," Pat Griffiths, the ICRC spokesperson in Jerusalem, told the British newspaper.
The 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 – even skeletonised – when eventually recovered."
"Forensic experts lose access to circumstantial evidence that can be used to corroborate their identity."
The ICRC warned that the more time passes, the greater the risk that crucial identifying evidence, including fingerprints, dental records and personal belongings, will be lost.