Gaza: The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) confirmed that the Israeli occupation continues to commit the crime of enforced disappearance, which has been a prominent aspect of the ongoing aggression for nearly two years, affecting thousands of Gazans. This crime has escalated particularly since the occupation forces launched a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, with children and women among the victims.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, in a statement issued on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, which falls on August 30, the PPS added that this crime provided the most prominent cover for the horrific torture crimes perpetrated against Gaza detainees, which led to the killing of dozens. It also emphasized that, two years after the war, relevant institutions still face a major challenge in obtaining accurate and clear data on the numbers of detainees in Gaza and those who have died in detention.
The PPS denounced the Israeli judicial system in entrenching the crime of enforced disappearance by legitimizing torture against Gaza detainees, by detaining thousands of them under the "Unlawful Combatant Law" passed by the Knesset in 2002, which provided cover for widespread torture. Amendments made to this law at the beginning of the war also contributed to entrenching the crime of enforced disappearance, along with the occupation's refusal to disclose any information regarding Gaza detainees or their numbers.
In light of this, a group of human rights organizations submitted several petitions to the Israeli Supreme Court to reveal the identities of the detainees and their places of detention. However, the court proved, each time, to be a key lever in entrenching crimes against Palestinians. The PPS stated that the occupation's judicial system played a central role in legitimizing the detention of thousands under the "Unlawful Combatant Law."
The PPS pointed out that, following the amendments to this law, relevant institutions worked to uncover the fate of several Gaza detainees by corresponding with the occupation army and organizing visits for hundreds of them, documenting unprecedented brutal practices. Testimonies from detainees reflected the level of brutality and systematic torture they experienced from the moment of arrest, during interrogation, and in prisons and camps.
It was explained that the occupation has established special camps for Gaza detainees, notably the Sde Teiman camp, a prominent site of torture and murder crimes. Other camps include Anatot, Ofer, Naftali, and the Rakefet section of the Israeli Prison Service, which are barely accessible to human rights organizations.
The PPS reiterated its call for the international human rights community to take decisive actions to hold the Israeli occupation accountable and halt its aggression against the Palestinian people, including the crimes committed against detainees in prisons and camps. As of August 2025, the number of those classified by the occupation as "unlawful combatants" reached 2,378, with 46 documented deaths among detainees and an additional 77 unverified fatalities since the onset of the war. In August 2024, the total number of Gaza detainees was 1,584, reflecting a doubling over the past year, excluding detainees held in military camps.
