Within the framework of the ongoing efforts exerted by the Palestinian Centre for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD) to document cases of missing and enforced disappearances in the Gaza Strip, the case of Mohamed Riad Al-Aqra’ stands out as one bearing strong indications of arrest and enforced disappearance by Israeli forces in the central area of the Strip.
Incident Details
According to information documented by the missing citizen’s family, Mohamed Riad Al-Aqra’, a 28-year-old social worker and resident of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood (Third Street) in Gaza City, went missing on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.
According to the family’s statement, Mohamed left his temporary residence in Camp 2 in the Al-Nuseirat area shortly before sunset, informing his family that he was heading towards the sea. Since that exact moment, all communication with him was completely lost, he never returned home, and all avenues to reach him or determine his precise whereabouts have been entirely cut off.
Indications of Enforced Disappearance
The sudden loss of trace of Mohamed Al-Aqra’ in a high-risk area, coupled with the authorities’ persistent denial of his presence and the withholding of any information regarding his fate, places this case under the classification of systematic enforced disappearance. This deliberate ambiguity constitutes a flagrant violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which obligates the detaining power to disclose the places of detention for civilians and facilitate their communication with their families and legal entities.
Search and Follow-up Efforts
Following Mohamed’s disappearance, his family immediately pursued all available legal channels. They initially contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, HaMoked – Center for the Defence of the Individual, and Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement. However, all these human rights organizations were met with denials from Israeli authorities regarding the existence of any official records or files indicating his arrest or place of detention.
On its part, and based on the mandate granted by the victim’s family to the legal representative, Ahmed Masoud, the Palestinian Centre for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared officially documented the case and submitted a formal complaint to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) on February 5, 2026. This submission demands international community intervention to pressure the occupying authorities to immediately reveal the fate of Mohamed Al-Aqra’ and end the policy of institutional denial concerning him.
Unknown Fate
To this day, the fate of Mohamed Riad Al-Aqra’ remains officially unknown. His family, along with the Centre, urgently appeal to all human rights organizations and international bodies to intervene immediately to end his suffering and ensure his legal protection. This case vividly reflects the policy of unacknowledged detention practiced by the occupation, which necessitates international action to hold those responsible for these crimes accountable and ensure the safe return of the disappeared to their families.
