Jerusalem: UN experts have reported that twenty months of assault by the Israeli army have led to widespread patterns of enforced disappearances among Palestinians in Gaza and other parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This includes health and care workers, journalists, and other professionals, as well as women and children.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, approximately 4,000 Palestinians, including children and the elderly, have been missing since 7 October 2023. The UN experts have called for the disclosure of the fate and whereabouts of all victims of enforced disappearance. They emphasized that enforced disappearances cannot be justified under any circumstances, including war, instability, or public emergencies.
The experts have pointed out that these disappearances have been facilitated through military orders and legislation that allow for indefinite detention without trial of so-called 'unlawful combatants' and others, which breaches international human rights and humanitarian law. They stressed the urgent need to end hostilities, unconditionally free all hostages, and provide certainty on the fate and whereabouts of all those forcibly disappeared.
The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances continues to register cases and observe patterns of disappeared persons, particularly those last seen at checkpoints, hospitals, or arrested by the Israeli army during ground operations. The group noted that these detentions are not properly reported to families, and those in custody cannot communicate with their families or seek legal review, which causes psychological torture and other inhumane treatment for the relatives.
In cases of death in custody, the UN experts insist that authorities must promptly and thoroughly investigate to establish the cause of death and return the bodies to their families. They expressed concern over the underreporting of forcibly disappeared Palestinians, noting that relatives are often reluctant to report cases due to fear of reprisals or lack of trust.
The experts urged the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held in Gaza and the disclosure of the fate, whereabouts, and health status of all forcibly disappeared Palestinians. They encouraged families and civil society to report enforced disappearances to relevant Special Procedures, including the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, whose primary task is to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of their disappeared relatives.
The Working Group has raised these concerns in a communication to the Government of Israel, which has yet to respond. The experts involved in these findings include Gabriella Citroni, Grazyna Baranowska, Aua Bald©, Ana Lorena Delgadillo P©rez, Mohammed Al-Obaidi, Francesca Albanese, Morris Tidball-Binz, Alice Jill Edwards, and Ben Saul.
