DaysofPal — A Palestinian human rights center warned Wednesday that the onset of Ramadan is intensifying the suffering of families of missing persons in Gaza, amid ongoing legal and humanitarian uncertainty over the fate of thousands who have disappeared since Oct. 7, 2023.
In a statement, the Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared said more than 7,000 people remain unaccounted for.
Some are believed to be buried under rubble or trapped in areas that remain inaccessible, while others are suspected of being held in Israeli detention without clear information about their whereabouts or condition.
The center said the continued withholding of information about the missing constitutes a violation of the right to know, as guaranteed under international humanitarian law and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
“Ramadan, with its deep social and familial significance, exposes the profound psychological and legal impact of the ongoing absence of information,” the statement said.
“Thousands of families remain in a painful state of legal limbo.” It continued.
According to the organization, the failure to clarify the fate of the missing, whether they are detainees or deceased individuals whose bodies have not been returned, deprives families of the right to proper burial, justice, and accountability.
The center called for effective international pressure to ensure the immediate and full disclosure of information about all missing and forcibly disappeared persons, including details on detention locations and health conditions where applicable.
It also urged authorities to allow civil defense teams and specialized agencies access to destroyed areas to conduct systematic recovery operations, including the use of identification technologies such as DNA testing.
The statement stressed that the prolonged uncertainty, particularly during socially significant occasions like Ramadan, deepens violations of the rights of both the missing and their families.
“Ending the tragedy of the missing is a legal and humanitarian obligation that cannot be delayed,” the center said.
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