Gaza Herald – A Palestinian human rights organization has reported that more than 9,500 Palestinians in Gaza have been recorded as missing or unaccounted for since the beginning of the Israeli genocide on the territory on October 7, 2023, including approximately 4,700 women and children.
In a report issued Tuesday evening titled “Missing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip Amid the Genocidal War”, Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights said the cases fall into five main categories, with the largest group believed to be individuals still trapped under the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings. The organization estimates that more than 8,100 Palestinians remain buried beneath debris as a result of ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
The report also documented over 250 cases of individuals who went missing while attempting to reach humanitarian aid distribution points or along aid convoy routes, particularly those linked to what is referred to as the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,” which operates with involvement from private American security firms.
In addition, more than 350 Palestinians are reported missing after crossing the separation barrier on October 7, 2023, with no official information provided regarding their fate. The organization also recorded over 800 cases of Palestinians detained by Israeli occupation forces during movement between northern and southern Gaza or during ground operations, with families unable to confirm their whereabouts.
Al-Dameer emphasized that these disappearances constitute clear violations of international humanitarian law, including provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the First Additional Protocol, and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (2006), as well as the Rome Statute, which classifies enforced disappearance as a crime against humanity.
The organization stressed that the occupying power bears full responsibility for the fate of the missing persons and called for the immediate disclosure of their whereabouts, the release of detainees, and unrestricted access for international and forensic teams to all relevant sites in Gaza.
It further urged the establishment of international accountability mechanisms, the creation of a DNA database to assist in identifying victims, and the provision of legal guarantees for families seeking information about their loved ones.
The report comes amid Palestinian estimates that the ongoing war in Gaza has resulted in more than 245,000 Palestinians killed or injured, over 11,000 missing, and hundreds of thousands displaced, alongside widespread destruction across the enclave.
