RAMALLAH: Palestinian prisoner advocacy organizations, including the Palestinian Prisoners Society, the Prisoners Affairs Commission, and the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, have demanded international action in response to the enforced disappearance of thousands of Gaza detainees by the Israeli occupation authorities.

This has reportedly occurred since the onset of the ongoing war of genocide, particularly with the commencement of the ground invasion of Gaza. The groups highlighted the mass detention of civilians from various parts of the Gaza Strip, including thousands of workers who were employed in Israel before the aggression began.

In a statement marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30, the organizations described enforced disappearance as a central aspect of the genocide that has persisted for over ten months.

They noted extensive and ongoing detentions affecting all demographics, including children, women, and the elderly. The gro
ups also cited attacks on medical personnel, with significant incidents occurring during repeated invasions of hospitals, including the major assault on the Shifa Medical Complex.

During the Israeli military’s detention operations, disturbing images surfaced showing hundreds of civilians detained under degrading and humiliating conditions. Multiple prisoners have also been found naked and packed in large numbers in open spaces, streets, and military vehicles, in circumstances that severely undermined their dignity.

The advocacy groups further criticized the Israeli judicial system for facilitating enforced disappearances and contributing to torture of Gaza detainees. They pointed out that thousands of detainees are being held under the “Unlawful Combatants Law” enacted by the Israeli Knesset in 2002, which they argue fundamentally violates legal procedural safeguards.

The organizations also reiterated their call for the international human rights system to overcome its persistent inaction in addressing the
ongoing genocide.

They urged the global community to take clear and decisive steps to hold Israel accountable and to cease the widespread aggression against the Palestinian people, including the abuses within Israeli detention facilities.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA