The Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD) is closely and responsibly monitoring reports regarding the discovery of the remains of citizens who had been missing in various areas of the Gaza Strip. These remains were uncovered by chance after prolonged periods of disappearance.
Over the past week, citizens discovered the remains of Ismail Al-Haddad in the western areas of Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Al-Haddad had been missing for 815 days, since January 23, 2024, when contact was lost while he was heading to check on his family during a large-scale Israeli military incursion into the area. His identity was confirmed through his personal belongings, and he has since been laid to rest by his family.
Simultaneously, Al-Daraj Health Center in central Gaza City announced the discovery of the remains of an infant, approximately six months old, in the clinic’s courtyard during technical repair work. Her identity remains unknown at this time.
These recurring incidents bring back to the forefront the warnings previously issued by the Center regarding the grave challenges facing the processes of identifying and documenting the missing. The Center has noted that several factors—most notably the chaotic, forced, and rapid burials necessitated by war conditions, as well as the burial of unidentified bodies by strangers without sufficient documentation—will inevitably complicate the cases of the missing and leave their fates unknown for extended periods.
The Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared believes that the recurrence of these spontaneous discoveries in non-designated burial sites, such as tents and institutional courtyards, necessitates the intensification of national and international efforts to remove rubble and initiate systematic, organized search operations. This demand stems from the inherent right of every Palestinian family to know the fate of their loved ones—a right without which justice remains incomplete and psychological closure unattainable. Such efforts are essential to ensure the dignity of the victims and grant their families the right to a proper farewell after hundreds of days of agonizing uncertainty.
The Center calls upon the international community and relevant institutions to uphold their responsibilities by exerting serious pressure on Israel to allow the entry of heavy machinery and equipment necessary for rubble removal. Furthermore, the search for the missing must be prioritized within existing humanitarian efforts. The Center also demands pressure on the Israeli authorities to immediately disclose the lists and names of all detainees held from the Gaza Strip to reveal the fate of those forcibly disappeared. Finally, it is imperative to enable specialized technical and field teams to work freely and safely in areas near military presences to ensure the recovery of remains and the documentation of cases before their features are lost.
