By Zachary Gava
Harare, (New Ziana) -The State of Palestine has condemned what it describes as the systematic use of enforced disappearance against thousands of Palestinians detained from the Gaza Strip during the ongoing war, warning that the practice is stripping detainees of legal protection while creating conditions conducive to torture, ill-treatment and medical neglect.
Speaking on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, Palestinian ambassador to Zimbabwe Tamer Almassri said the fate and whereabouts of many Palestinian detainees remained unknown, accusing the Israeli occupation authorities of deliberately concealing information about those in detention.
He said the withholding of information about detainees, including their names, locations and medical conditions, as well as denying access to families, lawyers and human rights organisations, amounted to more than isolated violations.
“The State of Palestine emphasizes that withholding information, refusing to disclose names, locations, and medical conditions, and denying access to families, legal counsel, and human rights organizations are not isolated violations. Rather, these practices form an integrated policy designed to strip detainees of all legal protection,” he said.
Almassri said the lack of transparency surrounding detainees was particularly concerning because it could enable abuses to take place beyond independent scrutiny.
“This deliberate concealment fosters an environment conducive to torture, ill-treatment, and medical neglect entirely shielded from oversight and accountability,” Almassri said.
The remarks come as Palestinians continue to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed annually on August 30, to raise awareness of enforced disappearance as well as strengthen efforts to prevent the practice and establish the fate of people whose whereabouts are unknown.
The United Nations designated the day to draw attention to the plight of people who are detained or otherwise deprived of their liberty by state authorities or actors acting with state support, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the detention or disclose the person’s fate or whereabouts.
The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, adopted by the United Nations in 2006, defines the practice as the arrest, detention or abduction of a person by state agents or persons acting with state authorisation, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or concealment of the person’s fate or whereabouts, placing the individual outside the protection of the law.
“Under international law, enforced disappearance is absolutely prohibited and cannot be justified under any circumstances, including during war or state of emergency,” said Almassri.
He called for urgent action to establish the whereabouts and fate of Palestinian detainees, saying the issue should not be treated merely as a humanitarian concern.
“Ending enforced disappearance and determining the fate of the detainees is not a humanitarian demand that can be deferred, but a genuine test of the international community’s commitment to upholding international law and to halting the ongoing course of genocide,” he said.
The Palestinian diplomat also linked the alleged disappearances to the wider humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where the war has resulted in massive casualties, destruction and displacement.
According to figures cited by the State of Palestine, the death toll from Israel’s ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip has risen to 73,454 Palestinians, while 174 486 others have been injured since the conflict escalated in October 2023.
More than 12 000 people are also reported to remain trapped beneath rubble and along roads, with ambulance and rescue crews facing difficulties reaching them amid continued Israeli bombardment, despite what has been described as a ceasefire.
Almassri further accused Israeli politicians of exploiting the military escalation and Palestinian deaths for domestic political and electoral gains ahead of upcoming elections.
He condemned what he characterized as the use of Palestinian lives as a political tool, arguing that military escalation should not be driven by domestic electoral calculations.
Almassri’s remarks come as international attention continues to focus on the legal obligations of states during armed conflict and on the need to protect civilians and detainees from arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearance and other serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
For families of those who have disappeared, establishing the truth about what happened to their relatives remains an urgent concern, with international law placing particular emphasis on the right of victims and their families to know the truth about the circumstances surrounding a disappearance and the person’s fate and whereabouts.
New Ziana
