Gaza Herald – Israeli forces have abducted nurse Tasneem al-Hams from her post at a medical point in southern Khan Younis, continuing a deliberate campaign of kidnapping and enforced disappearances targeting Gaza’s medical personnel.
This follows the abduction of her father, Dr. Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals, in July under similar circumstances, despite his gunshot injury and denial of access to legal representation. Tasneem’s abduction is not an isolated incident; it is part of a systematic strategy to dismantle Gaza’s healthcare system, terrorize medical professionals, and use them as leverage in Israel’s ongoing genocidal operations.
Euro-Med Monitor emphasizes that Israel must be held fully accountable for the safety and well-being of Tasneem al-Hams. States parties to the Geneva Conventions are legally obliged to enforce respect for international law by taking concrete measures to stop kidnappings and enforced disappearances. This includes suspending all military and security cooperation with Israel until it complies with its obligations under international law. Moreover, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court must urgently open an investigation into these crimes and ensure those responsible face prosecution.
Comprehensive documentation of forcibly disappeared persons from Gaza, including their detention locations, case numbers, and the authorities handling their cases, is essential. Lists must be continuously updated to guarantee that families and legal representatives can access vital information about their loved ones’ fate. The continued secrecy and denial of basic legal rights constitute an ongoing violation of international law and a deliberate attempt to terrorize families and communities.
Euro-Med Monitor further calls on countries whose national laws allow universal jurisdiction to open criminal investigations into Israel’s enforced disappearances, torture, and mistreatment of detainees. These crimes carry no statute of limitations and represent serious breaches of the Geneva Conventions. Pursuing these cases at the national level is an urgent step to end impunity, bring justice to victims, and confront Israel’s systematic campaign of genocide and state-sponsored terror against Gaza’s medical and civilian population.
