As part of the ongoing efforts undertaken by the Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared to document cases of disappearance and enforced disappearance in the Gaza Strip, the case of the child Ibrahim Mohammad Abu Zaher stands out as one of the grave cases requiring urgent investigation. Strong indications suggest that he may have been subjected to arrest and enforced disappearance, while the possibility that he was directly targeted during military operations in the area cannot be ruled out.
Incident Details
Ibrahim Mohammad Abu Zaher (15 years old), a resident of Jabalia – Tal Al-Zaatar, went missing on 17 July 2025 after heading to the Zikim area near the water desalination plant in order to obtain humanitarian aid. According to his family’s testimony, communication with him continued until the late hours of the same evening, before contact was completely lost.
Eyewitnesses reported that an Israeli special force surrounded a group of civilians numbering between 70 and 100 individuals at the same location and escorted them to a military holding point. It is believed that Ibrahim was among them. Subsequent information indicated that he was seen inside Sde Teiman detention facility in December 2025, without any official announcement of his detention or clarification of his legal status.
Serious Concerns Regarding His Fate
In the absence of any official acknowledgment of his detention, the failure to include his name on publicly available detainee lists, and the continued denial of contact with him, there are mounting indications that he may have been subjected to secret detention and enforced disappearance. At the same time, given the intensive military operations taking place in the area at the time, the possibility that he was directly targeted cannot be excluded, further exacerbating the gravity of his humanitarian and legal situation.
The detention of a minor in isolation from the outside world, or his targeting in the context of military operations, constitutes in both scenarios a grave violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. This necessitates the immediate disclosure of his fate, guarantees for his protection, and accountability for those responsible for any violations committed against him.
Actions Taken
Following his disappearance, the family contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross, which stated that it had no information regarding his condition. The family also approached HaMoked – Center for the Defence of the Individual, but his name was not found in publicly available detention records. A private lawyer has been appointed to pursue the case.
For its part, the Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared has officially documented the case and submitted it to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to follow up on the matter and demand the immediate disclosure of the missing child’s fate.
An Unknown Fate
The fate and whereabouts of the child Ibrahim Mohammad Abu Zaher remain unknown, amid the absence of any official acknowledgment of his detention and the continued denial of his family’s right to communicate with him. His case reflects a recurring pattern of detaining Palestinian civilians, including children, in conditions that lack fundamental legal safeguards. This situation calls for urgent international intervention to reveal his fate, ensure his protection, and hold those responsible for such violations accountable.
