Gaza (Monitoring Desk) — More than 11,200 Palestinians have remained missing in Gaza since Israel began its genocide in the territory in October 2023.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Justice, the missing include civilians believed to be trapped under the rubble, while some went missing during Israeli attacks or forced evacuations. In addition, thousands of Palestinians are believed to have been forcibly disappeared while in Israeli custody.
Organizations working for the rights of Palestinian prisoners say Israel has refused to provide information about people detained from Gaza, including their names, whereabouts and medical conditions. According to these organizations, families, lawyers and human rights groups have also been denied access to detainees.
Human rights organizations have also accused Israel of withholding the bodies of Palestinians from Gaza who died in custody from their families, while the remains of others are being kept in morgues and designated burial sites.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Justice, more than 4,700 women and children are among those who have gone missing or been forcibly disappeared since October 7, 2023.
Human rights organizations state that enforced disappearance is prohibited under international law and, when carried out on a widespread or systematic scale, may constitute a crime against humanity.