Forensic and Medical Laboratories in the Post-War Gaza Strip: An Analytical Study of Their Reality and Medical and Legal Roles in Identifying Victims and Missing Persons, Documenting Injuries and Causes of Death, Promoting Criminal and Humanitarian Justic

Abstract

Although the Gaza war posed significant challenges to the health and medical system in the Gaza Strip, particularly to forensic laboratories and forensic medicine—which are essential for documenting events through the analysis of biological and physical evidence and the identification of victims and causes of death for large numbers of victims, missing persons, and wounded—specialized studies on this subject are scarce at both the local and regional levels, therefore, this study aims to examine the current state of forensic and criminal evidence laboratories in the Gaza Strip in the post-war period. The research problem is summarized in the main question: “To what extent have forensic and criminal evidence laboratories in the Gaza Strip been effective in the post-war period in identifying victims and missing persons and documenting injuries and causes of death?” The significance of this study lies in its shedding light on the concept of forensic science and forensic medicine laboratories, their medical role and legal importance, as well as its review of their current reality, the most prominent challenges facing their work, and the requirements for developing the forensic science and forensic medicine system in the Gaza Strip.

The study is divided into two sections:

Section One: The concept of forensic science and forensic medicine laboratories and their medical role in Gaza before and after the war.

Section Two: The legal role of forensic science and forensic medicine laboratories, their current status, and the most significant challenges facing their work in Gaza in the post-war period.

The study concluded with a set of findings and recommendations, the most important of which are as follows: Forensic science and medical-legal laboratories constitute an integrated medical, scientific, and legal system, serving as an essential tool for documenting facts in post-war contexts, identifying victims, and determining causes of death and injuries, thereby serving the objectives of criminal justice and humanitarian aid. Specifically in the Gaza Strip, forensic and criminal evidence laboratories face a complex set of interrelated challenges—both before and after the war—that directly impact their ability to fulfill their medical, legal, and criminal justice roles.

Among the most important recommendations are: The relevant authorities must establish an independent national body for forensic evidence, as well as forensic laboratories and a forensic medicine unit in the Gaza Strip for the post-war period, They must work with international organizations to establish a comprehensive national forensic laboratory—particularly one equipped for DNA testing—and create a national database for missing persons and victims. It is also essential to strengthen cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization in the areas of victim identification and the management of remains.