- Elif Gunce Eskikoy: “The dignity of a person does not end when they lose their lives … wars are not lawless”

ANTALYA

As Gaza approaches the end of its second year of Israeli genocide, with at least 65,926 Palestinians killed since October 2023, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is urging greater attention to one of the war’s most overlooked crises: caring for and identifying the dead and missing.

Elif Gunce Eskikoy, the ICRC’s Eurasia manager, said humanitarian forensics — combining science and compassion — is vital to ensure that even amid war, the dead are treated with “dignity” and their identities preserved.

“The dignity of a person does not end when they lose their lives,” Eskikoy said, stressing the urgent need to locate, recover and identify the dead in Gaza. Where families cannot be reunited, she added, the deceased must still be treated in a “dignified manner with respect to their faith.”

Eskikoy spoke to Anadolu during the 20th International Forensic Medicine Days in Antalya, attended by about 800 participants from 27 countries. She said cutting-edge technology and rigorous data management are essential to protecting human dignity in the enclave.

Data management and mass fatalities

Finding bodies is only the first step; managing the aftermath is another. Eskikoy warned that storage capacity is one of the greatest challenges in mass-fatality events. Countries prepared for small numbers of deaths can be overwhelmed when faced with hundreds or thousands.

She said remains must be handled properly, stored in a “dignified manner” and documented meticulously. Reflecting on Gaza, she cautioned: “I am not talking about a few weeks; this is going to take a very long time.”

On handling information about the dead, she noted: “Data is the information that we need that will enable us to identify these human remains. And data needs to be managed. It is not data of one person, it is going to be hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of pieces of information.”

She said that "the best method would be to ... collect the information as soon as we can," but even if not possible, data must be recovered later. With proper training, “we can … achieve what we want to achieve, and this is giving the dignity back to the deceased.”

Technology and its limits

Eskikoy said advances in forensic science can help, especially in managing large volumes of data.

"Certainly, advances in forensic science can make things easier. One of the aspects would be managing data, because as I said, there is a very large amount of data that is going to accumulate," she said. “Using artificial intelligence in the management of this data is important.”

But she warned that technology is no cure-all: “As with any other advances or any other technology, it ultimately comes back to the person, to humans. It is going to be humans using artificial intelligence.”

AI can help compare and analyze data to identify remains, yet even when identification fails, proper burial and protection of graves remain essential.

Technology must also fit local realities: “We have very high-level technologies, but what is their applicability on the ground? … We have to be very careful before we recommend, suggest, (or) promote the use of high-end technologies,” shaping solutions around local realities while keeping in mind concerns "of more global interest and impact." In her view, there is "no one-size-fits-all approach".

Upholding the rules of war

Humanitarian forensics is central to the ICRC’s mission, Eskikoy said, describing the organization as “a reference organization for humanitarian and forensic action.” It works to protect the dead, identify remains, clarify the fate of the missing and support local authorities.

She emphasized the ICRC’s presence in war zones: “It is there to uphold the rules of war, because wars are not lawless … we are certainly very present in Gaza.”

Even robust national systems can be overwhelmed, she added, making collaboration and training essential. The ICRC helps build connections and ensure effective communication among those managing mass fatalities.