Gaza, Aug 30 (Petra) – The Palestinian human rights organization Al Mezan said on Saturday that the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances comes as Israel continues to commit some of the most severe crimes and violations against Palestinian civilians during a genocidal war, with enforced disappearances among the most brutal.

In a statement, Al Mezan said Israeli forces have carried out widespread enforced disappearances since October 2023 through mass arbitrary and degrading arrests affecting thousands of Palestinians. It said Israel refuses to acknowledge the fate of hundreds of detainees or provide information on their place of detention and conditions.

The group said enforced disappearance is a continuous crime that strips victims of their humanity while worsening their psychological, health, and social suffering, leaving families in anguish as they do not know the fate of their loved ones or whether they are alive.

It added that Israel denies the International Committee of the Red Cross access to visit detainees in Israeli prisons, restricts human rights organizations from visiting them or determining their fate, and refuses to acknowledge or disclose their detention, in violation of the 1998 Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court.

Al Mezan called for launching an international campaign to highlight the issue of missing persons, ensure disclosure of their fate, and guarantee them the protections set out in international law. It urged the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities toward residents of the occupied Palestinian territories.

The organization also called for urgent action to halt the genocide in Gaza, address the issue of the missing, ensure accountability for perpetrators of enforced disappearance, provide justice and compensation for victims, and compel Israel to abide by international law and the rules established by international conventions.

//Petra// AF
30/08/2025 20:15:00