As part of the ongoing efforts by the Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD) to document cases of loss and enforced disappearance in the Gaza Strip, the case of Mahmoud Abdel Aziz Abo Alshaer emerges as one that raises serious concerns regarding his arrest and enforced disappearance by Israeli forces, especially given testimonies indicating he was later seen in detention centers.
Incident Details
Mahmoud Abdel Aziz Abo Alshaer (22 years old), a university student residing in the “Al-Kanees” area of Khan Younis, went missing on Monday, June 16, 2025. According to documentation, Mahmoud left his home that day heading to the Al-Kanees area to charge his mobile phone battery. Field information indicates that all contact with Mahmoud was completely lost upon his arrival at the aforementioned area. Since then, his family has been unable to reach him or obtain any certain news of his whereabouts, supporting the hypothesis that he was detained or targeted during the military operations taking place in Khan Younis at that time.
Testimonies and Information on Fate
Despite the lack of official contact, the family received reports indicating that Mahmoud was seen alive in the Negev detention center during February 2025. This testimony strongly supports the hypothesis that he is being held in custody by Israeli authorities, despite the continued official policy of denial regarding his whereabouts.
Actions Taken
Mr. Mahmoud’s family, through their legal representative, has taken a series of legal and humanitarian steps to determine his location, including:
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): They were contacted, and the response was that he is not currently registered as a detainee with them.
HaMoked (Center for the Defence of the Individual): The family approached them, and the response was negative, citing no record of his name.
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association: They were also contacted and confirmed that he is not registered in official Israeli detention records.
For its part, the Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD) officially documented the case and submitted a communication to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on February 1, 2026, demanding that Israeli authorities immediately reveal his fate and the conditions of his detention.
The case of Mahmoud Abo Alshaer serves as an example of the policy of enforced disappearance practiced against civilians in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Center renews its call to the international community and UN organizations to pressure the Israeli authorities to open detention centers, end the policy of denial, and guarantee the legal right of detainees to communicate with their families and human rights organizations.
