Ambassador Tamer Almassri has denounced what he described as the systematic use of enforced disappearance by Israeli occupation authorities against thousands of Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip, marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
In a statement issued to coincide with the day, Almassri said the fate and whereabouts of many detainees remain entirely unknown, with Israeli authorities withholding names, locations, and medical conditions while denying access to families, lawyers, and human rights organizations.
The State of Palestine characterized these practices not as isolated violations but as an integrated policy intended to strip detainees of legal protection. Officials said the resulting secrecy creates conditions for torture, mistreatment, and medical neglect that go unchecked by outside oversight.
Enforced disappearance is prohibited under international law without exception, including during armed conflict or a declared state of emergency. The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance defines the practice as the deprivation of liberty combined with a refusal to acknowledge detention or to disclose a victim’s fate, effectively placing that person beyond the law’s protection.
Almassri argued that resolving the disappearances is not a humanitarian request that can wait, but a direct test of whether the international community will enforce international law and act to stop what Palestinian officials describe as an ongoing genocide.
The statement came against the backdrop of heavy casualties in Gaza. According to figures cited by Palestinian officials, the death toll from Israel’s military campaign has reached 73,454 people, with 174,486 others wounded, since fighting began in October 2023. Officials said more than 12,000 people remain missing under rubble or along roads, with ambulance and rescue teams unable to reach them because of continued Israeli strikes despite a declared ceasefire.
Almassri further criticized Israeli politicians whom he accused of using the military campaign and Palestinian casualties for political advantage ahead of upcoming elections.
