As part of the ongoing efforts by the Palestinian Center for Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD) to document cases of loss and enforced disappearance in the Gaza Strip, the Center is documenting the disappearance of citizen Ismail Sayyed Saleem. This case carries indicators of enforced disappearance or direct targeting amidst field military operations and the immediate risks facing civilians at the time of his disappearance, particularly given that he lives with an intellectual disability.
According to information, testimonies documented by the Center, and the authorization granted by his family, Ismail Sayyed Saleem, who was 30 years old at the time of the incident (born October 25, 1993), originally from the Al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City (and residing at the time of the incident on Al-Baraka Street in Deir al-Balah), went missing in the early hours of Wednesday, January 24, 2024.
According to available documentation, Ismail left his residence on Al-Basheer Street in Deir al-Balah at 04:00 AM (at dawn prayer time) heading to an unknown destination. It is noted that Ismail suffers from psychological disorders and an intellectual disability. From that moment on, all contact with him was entirely lost; he did not return to his family, and no information became available regarding his movement route or fate.
Indicators of Enforced Disappearance
The disappearance of Ismail Saleem in Deir al-Balah—coinciding with the continued presence of the Israeli army at the Netzarim checkpoint along the coastal road and the military air control over the Strip, alongside the refusal to reveal his fate—places this case among those suspected of enforced disappearance.
Concerns for his life are further compounded given his specific health and cognitive condition, which deprives him of the ability to protect himself or navigate field conflict conditions. This secrecy represents an extension of flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, which mandate the protection of civilians, the sick, and persons with disabilities, and guarantee the non-negotiable right of families to know the fate of their loved ones.
Search and Follow-up Efforts
Following his disappearance, Ismail’s family initiated all available search avenues and contacted and registered with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). However, all efforts have failed to yield any information confirming or denying his presence in Israeli detention centers or hospitals.
Following up on the case and based on the power of attorney granted by the family, the Palestinian Center for Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (PCMFD) officially documented the case and submitted an urgent communication to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) in Geneva. The submission calls on the international community and UN mechanisms to pressure the occupation authorities to investigate the circumstances of his disappearance, immediately reveal his fate, and end the state of denial regarding his status.
Unknown Fate
To this day, the fate of Ismail Sayyed Saleem remains officially unknown. His family and the Center appeal to all human rights organizations and international bodies to intervene urgently to disclose his whereabouts and guarantee his legal and humanitarian protection. This case exemplifies the ongoing suffering of Palestinian families, particularly those whose missing loved ones belong to the most vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, demanding serious international action to compel parties to the conflict to reveal the missing and detained and reinstate the right to know their fate.
