The Palestinian government team specialized in following up on the file of missing and forcibly disappeared persons in the Gaza Strip held its first meeting on Tuesday, chaired by the Minister of Justice, Counselor Sharhabil Al-Za'eem. This official step comes within the government's efforts to confront one of the most complex and urgent humanitarian and national files since the start of the comprehensive Israeli aggression on the Strip.
The Ministry of Justice affirmed in a statement that the formation of this team represents a comprehensive national commitment to uncover the fate of thousands of Palestinians whose traces have been lost. Official estimates indicate that there are more than 11,200 citizens among the missing or forcibly disappeared since October 7, 2023, a number that reflects the scale of the ongoing humanitarian tragedy.
The documented statistics with the competent authorities include more than 4,700 women and children among the lists of missing persons, which doubles the seriousness of this file. Sources explained that this number includes thousands of martyrs whose bodies are still trapped under the rubble of destroyed homes, in addition to detainees in occupation prisons whom the Israeli side refuses to disclose their places of detention or legal status.
In a related context, previous data from the Ministry of Social Development stated that about 8,100 Palestinians are still missing under the rubble or in rugged roads that were inaccessible due to the continued bombing. Civil defense crews face extreme difficulties in recovering victims due to the severe shortage of equipment and heavy machinery and the restrictions imposed on their entry into the Strip.
Minister Sharhabil Al-Za'eem stressed that this team represents the basic nucleus for establishing a permanent and specialized national body for missing persons affairs. He pointed out that knowing the fate of these citizens is an inherent right of their families that cannot be waived, emphasizing that the methodology adopted will be based on comprehensive and accurate documentation of each case individually according to international standards.
The Ministry of Justice announced the launch of a dedicated electronic platform for registering missing persons' data, aiming to unify scattered efforts and enhance the accuracy of information available to different institutions. The team will work to build a unified national database that contributes to facilitating search and investigation operations and legal claims in international forums.
The team includes representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Health, in addition to the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. Human rights and specialized trade union bodies also participate in the team's work to ensure the provision of integrated legal, psychological, and social support to the families of the missing who live in a state of constant anxiety.
Sub-committees specialized in forensic medicine, field documentation, international cooperation, and media are expected to emerge from the team. These intensive efforts come amid extremely complex field conditions and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing war, which has led to the martyrdom of tens of thousands and massive destruction of the Strip's infrastructure.
Knowing the fate of the missing is an inherent human right that does not lapse by prescription, and is guaranteed by all international conventions.
שתף את דעתך
Government team begins documenting the file of 11,000 missing and forcibly disappeared persons in Gaza