Growing risk that thousands buried in Gaza’s rubble may never be identified, says Red Cross

Exclusive: Recovery efforts remain slow and passing of time makes it more likely they will be skeletonised

The International Committee of the Red Cross has said the risk that the thousands of Palestinians buried beneath Gaza's rubble may never be identified is increasing by the day, as recovery efforts remain slow and many victims have yet to be retrieved, the Guardian can reveal.

There is no doubt that these bodies could soon become difficult to identify," said Pat Griffiths, the ICRC spokesperson in Jerusalem. 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."