As part of the ongoing efforts of the Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD) to document cases of missing persons and enforced disappearances in the Gaza Strip, the Center has officially documented the case of 32-year-old Abdulrahman Saadi Abu Warda. His case carries strong indicators of arrest and enforced disappearance by Israeli occupation forces while he was attempting to secure humanitarian aid in the central Gaza Strip.
Details of the Incident According to information and documentation compiled by the Center, Abdulrahman Abu Warda—a grocer originally residing in Jabalia (Al-Saftawi Street) who had been displaced to Deir al-Balah (Al-Baraka Street)—went missing on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
The family stated that Abdulrahman left his place of displacement in the morning, heading toward the Netzarim area, specifically near the coastal Al-Rashid Street, to secure flour and food supplies for his family from humanitarian aid trucks. Contact with him was completely lost at approximately 9:00 a.m., coinciding with a sudden military operation launched by the occupation forces in the area. Official media outlets reported at the time that the operation involved the incursion of military vehicles and tanks, alongside the surrounding of roughly 45 citizens. Since that moment, no news has been received regarding Abdulrahman, and he has not returned home.
Indicators of Enforced Disappearance The prolonged absence of Abdulrahman Abu Warda, combined with the occupation authorities’ systematic denial of his whereabouts, raises strong suspicions of enforced disappearance. However, a significant development emerged recently; in February 2026, verified legal information obtained by a lawyer from a human rights organization indicated that Abdulrahman Abu Warda’s name was identified, confirming his presence inside a hospital in Israel. The Israeli authorities’ continued withholding of information from his family and legal representatives regarding his health status and exact place of detention constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.
Search and Follow-up Efforts Following Abdulrahman’s disappearance, his family immediately pursued available channels. Two days after the incident, they contacted HaMoked (Center for the Defence of the Individual), which responded that Israeli official records showed no registration of the missing person’s name. The family also submitted a request to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which stated that it currently lacks the mandate or access to provide information regarding this case.
Based on the authorization granted by the victim’s family to the Center’s legal representative, the PCMFD legally documented the file and submitted an urgent official communication to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) on March 29, 2026. This action aims to pressure the occupation authorities and compel them to immediately disclose Abdulrahman’s health condition and place of detention.
Unknown Fate To this day, the fate of Abdulrahman Saadi Abu Warda remains shrouded in official ambiguity and institutional denial. The Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD), along with the family of the missing person, appeals to all UN bodies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and human rights organizations to intervene immediately to save his life, ensure his legal protection, and bring an end to the ongoing suffering his family has endured for over two years.
