As part of its ongoing efforts to document cases of loss and enforced disappearance in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Center for Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD) has documented the case of employee Mohammad Shaban Sabah. The case carries strong indicators of arbitrary arrest, unannounced detention, and enforced disappearance by Israeli forces operating in the northern Gaza Strip while he was performing his duties.
Details of the Incident
According to information documented by PCMFD—based on testimonies provided by the missing person’s family and an authorized mandate—Mohammad Shaban Sabah (aged 50 at the time of the incident, born April 2, 1974) was employed in the public sector, serving within the Civil Defense crews. Originally a resident of Jabalia (Tal al-Zaatar) and residing in Beit Hanoun, Mohammad disappeared on Sunday, December 29, 2024.
According to family statements, documented records, and eyewitness testimonies from neighbors, Mohammad departed from Beit Hanoun accompanied by his son, heading toward Gaza City while both were wearing their Civil Defense uniforms. Upon passing near the “Civil Administration” area in Beit Hanoun, they were intercepted at an Israeli military checkpoint and detained. Since that moment, all communication with them has been completely cut off, and all efforts to ascertain their direct fate have been stalled.
Indicators of Enforced Disappearance and Sightings in Detention Centers
The total loss of contact with Mr. Sabah at a direct Israeli military checkpoint, combined with the Israeli authorities’ refusal to disclose his fate or provide official information regarding his place of detention, places this case under the category of suspected systematic enforced disappearance. This constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Despite the official blackout, testimonies from released Palestinian detainees indicate that Mohammad Sabah was seen at the “Sde Teiman” detention center in April 2025, and subsequently at “Ofer” prison in October 2025. These reports strongly suggest that he remains in Israeli custody without official acknowledgement.
Follow-Up and Search Efforts
Following his disappearance, the Sabah family initiated all available legal and humanitarian channels to trace his whereabouts. They contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and followed up with HaMoked (Center for the Defence of the Individual), which reported having received no information from Israeli authorities. Furthermore, the family engaged the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, transferring the case to a lawyer based in Jerusalem. However, these efforts have yielded no official confirmation regarding his place of detention, health condition, or legal status.
Based on the power of attorney granted by the victim’s family, the Palestinian Center for Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD) formally documented the case and submitted a complaint to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), urging the international community to pressure Israeli authorities to immediately reveal the fate of Mohammad Sabah and end the state of denial surrounding his disappearance.
Unknown Fate and Human Rights Demands
To date, the official fate of Mohammad Shaban Sabah remains unknown. His family, along with PCMFD, urgently appeals to international human rights organizations and legal bodies to intervene immediately to disclose his whereabouts, end the suffering of his family, ensure his legal protection, and secure his immediate release alongside all individuals subjected to enforced disappearance.
