Within the framework of its commitment to monitoring and documenting cases of missing persons, the Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD) announces the documentation of the case of Mahmoud Faisal Al-Saksak. Mahmoud went missing under complex field conditions, indicating that he was either targeted or forcibly disappeared by Israeli forces during their incursion into the northern Gaza Strip.
Incident Details
Mahmoud Faisal Al-Saksak (28 years old), a public sector employee and resident of Beit Lahia (Al-Khansa Street), went missing on Monday, October 30, 2023. According to information gathered by the Center, Mahmoud left his home in the “Al-Talasem” area of Beit Lahia at 12:00 PM, heading to the “Al-Tawam” area to purchase essential supplies. Since that moment, all communication with him has been completely severed, coinciding with the Israeli forces’ ground incursion and intensive military operations in that area.
Testimonies and Information on his Fate
Mahmoud has not been seen alive since the day of his disappearance. The hypothesis that he was targeted or detained is reinforced by the subsequent discovery of his personal belongings—including his medical glasses and shoes—discarded near the “Al-Tawam Roundabout,” an area that witnessed a direct military incursion. Despite finding these items, his family has not received any official or unofficial information revealing his fate or whereabouts to date.
Actions Taken
The family of the missing person has taken a series of legal and humanitarian steps to locate him, including:
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): The Committee was contacted to follow up on his file; however, the response indicated that there are no records with the ICRC confirming his detention within the Israeli prisons known to them.
International Documentation: On February 27, 2026, the PCMFD prepared a comprehensive file and submitted an official report to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), to hold the Israeli authorities legally responsible for revealing his fate.
The Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared emphasizes that the case of Mahmoud Al-Saksak, and the discovery of his personal belongings at the site of his disappearance, raises major questions regarding the fate of thousands of young men who vanished in “operation zones.” In this context, the Center renews its demand to compel the occupying power to disclose lists of detainees and their locations, and to guarantee the families’ right to truth and reparation.
