On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance, the Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness) follows with deep concern what was revealed by United Nations human rights experts regarding the exposure of dozens of Palestinian civilians, including children, to enforced disappearance while attempting to obtain food aid in various areas of the Gaza Strip, particularly around centers run by what is known as the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation."
According to the statement issued by seven independent UN experts, there are strong suspicions of direct involvement of the Israeli army in the disappearances, in addition to its deliberate refusal to provide any information regarding the fate and whereabouts of the missing persons. This constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and amounts to the crime of torture and a crime against humanity.
Witness also points out that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights recently documented the killing of no fewer than 1,857 Palestinians while waiting for aid, including 1,021 killed near the sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates under Israeli occupation supervision and with special security protections. This raises serious questions about its actual role and the extent of its adherence to humanitarian standards.
The Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness) affirms the following:
1️⃣ Enforced disappearance is a crime that does not lapse with time and constitutes a compound violation that includes the right to freedom, life, physical safety, and protection from torture.
2️⃣ The use of food as a weapon of war to intimidate civilians or lure them into "death traps” for the purpose of disappearance or liquidation represents a dangerous escalation in the level of Israeli violations.
3️⃣ The necessity of opening an urgent, impartial, and transparent international investigation under the supervision of the Human Rights Council to identify those responsible for these crimes and hold them accountable, whether individuals or entities.
4️⃣ A call on the international community, the United Nations, and all human rights bodies to exert real pressure on the occupying authorities to stop these practices and to immediately disclose the fate of those forcibly disappeared.
5️⃣ Holding the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the lives and safety of Palestinian civilians, especially in light of the siege, famine, and deliberate closure of relief crossings.
August 29, 2025
The Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness)