Many Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody are reportedly unaccounted for, with the Israeli military denying knowledge of their whereabouts, according to Israeli media reports on Monday.
Haaretz newspaper reported that the Israeli army claims there is no information regarding the detention of these Palestinians, despite the fact they were last seen by soldiers or right before their arrests. Several petitions have been filed by Palestinians and human rights groups seeking answers about the missing detainees, though most have been rejected. In some instances, these petitions have led the army to discover that detainees thought to be missing were either in custody or had died.
Palestinian rights organizations have long criticized Israel’s handling of detainees, accusing its judicial system of facilitating the forced disappearance of Palestinians from Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians are believed to have been detained during Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza, which has claimed more than 45,500 lives since the conflict escalated on October 7, 2023.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for war crimes linked to the violence in Gaza, and a genocide case is also pending at the International Court of Justice.
NEWS DESK
PRESS UPDATE