The Uncertain Fate: Stories of Missing Persons in Gaza
Thousands of families in Gaza hold onto hope as the fate of their loved ones remains unknown amid ongoing conflict.
In the early hours of October 7, 2023, amidst the chaos of war, Mohammad stood at the mirror, humming to himself while preparing to leave his home.
He kissed his wife, Alaa, and their four children goodbye, joining Palestinian resistance efforts in an assault on Israeli settlements bordering Gaza.
Since that day, he has remained unaccounted for.
More than a year later, Alaa reflects on that moment in front of the same mirror.
Attached to it is a note she has written: "How constricted is life without a breath of hope." Alaa lives in a constant state of uncertainty, oscillating between two chilling possibilities: whether her husband is a martyr or a prisoner.
"I sometimes think it would be easier for him to be a martyr than to endure the tortures of prison.
But when the demands of parenting overwhelm me, I hope he is alive, serving a sentence and that he will return to us someday," she shares, expressing the emotional conflict that envelops her life.
Alaa struggles to explain her husband’s absence to their children, who continuously inquire about his whereabouts.
Her eight-year-old daughter still attempts to call her father's phone each night, yearning to hear his voice for just a minute.
The nights are heavy with Alaa's worry, filled with questions that have no answers: "If he is a martyr, will I be able to say goodbye?
Will his body be returned to me?
Can I even handle the possibility of that never happening?" These questions reflect the anguish faced by countless families in Gaza, each searching for closure amid the fog of war.
The conflict has resulted in the loss of thousands of individuals, with numerous families unsure whether their loved ones have been killed, imprisoned, or are still missing.
Following the outbreak of hostilities, many have gone missing as a direct result of military actions, while others have seemingly vanished while attempting to flee through the Nitsarim checkpoint or amid various incursions into northern Gaza.
One prominent case is that of Dr. Ahmad Murtaqa, who made his last call to his daughter while under siege and has been missing ever since.
Alaa remains in constant contact with organizations such as the Red Cross in hopes of uncovering any information about her husband and brother, but their efforts have yielded no results.
The unpredictability of the situation is exacerbated by conflicting reports and misinformation surrounding the fates of the missing.
Alaa recounts a video released by the Israeli army showing soldiers entering their home, which raised her hopes that her loved ones might still be alive under the rubble.
Adding to the desperation, families find themselves combing through ruins in search of their lost ones, with inadequate resources hampering the recovery of bodies buried under collapsed buildings.
In one poignant narrative, Selim Abu Agbit has been digging through debris with his bare hands, recovering the remains of 25 family members killed during an airstrike in Jabalia last year.
He places these remnants into bags, collecting what is left of his family after their home met its fate in the conflict.
The scale of the missing persons crisis has been described as staggering.
According to government officials, around 11,000 individuals are currently unaccounted for, with varying conditions under which they vanished—some presumed dead without ever reaching medical facilities, while others remain suspected casualties of war.
Rights advocates have criticized Israeli authorities for their lack of transparency regarding the whereabouts of the missing, citing the refusal to provide DNA testing kits necessary for identifying remains before burial.
Multiple appeals have been made to international organizations for urgent humanitarian assistance to clarify the status of the missing.
Reports indicate that the Israeli government has repressed information concerning the return of bodies, complicating families' grieving processes.
In some cases, bodies have been sent back in a deteriorated state, leaving families with no means to identify them, intensifying their grief.
Amid this humanitarian crisis, calls for action from international entities to address the situation of missing persons in Gaza continue to escalate, highlighting a critical need for a systematic approach to record and clarify the status of many individuals.
He kissed his wife, Alaa, and their four children goodbye, joining Palestinian resistance efforts in an assault on Israeli settlements bordering Gaza.
Since that day, he has remained unaccounted for.
More than a year later, Alaa reflects on that moment in front of the same mirror.
Attached to it is a note she has written: "How constricted is life without a breath of hope." Alaa lives in a constant state of uncertainty, oscillating between two chilling possibilities: whether her husband is a martyr or a prisoner.
"I sometimes think it would be easier for him to be a martyr than to endure the tortures of prison.
But when the demands of parenting overwhelm me, I hope he is alive, serving a sentence and that he will return to us someday," she shares, expressing the emotional conflict that envelops her life.
Alaa struggles to explain her husband’s absence to their children, who continuously inquire about his whereabouts.
Her eight-year-old daughter still attempts to call her father's phone each night, yearning to hear his voice for just a minute.
The nights are heavy with Alaa's worry, filled with questions that have no answers: "If he is a martyr, will I be able to say goodbye?
Will his body be returned to me?
Can I even handle the possibility of that never happening?" These questions reflect the anguish faced by countless families in Gaza, each searching for closure amid the fog of war.
The conflict has resulted in the loss of thousands of individuals, with numerous families unsure whether their loved ones have been killed, imprisoned, or are still missing.
Following the outbreak of hostilities, many have gone missing as a direct result of military actions, while others have seemingly vanished while attempting to flee through the Nitsarim checkpoint or amid various incursions into northern Gaza.
One prominent case is that of Dr. Ahmad Murtaqa, who made his last call to his daughter while under siege and has been missing ever since.
Alaa remains in constant contact with organizations such as the Red Cross in hopes of uncovering any information about her husband and brother, but their efforts have yielded no results.
The unpredictability of the situation is exacerbated by conflicting reports and misinformation surrounding the fates of the missing.
Alaa recounts a video released by the Israeli army showing soldiers entering their home, which raised her hopes that her loved ones might still be alive under the rubble.
Adding to the desperation, families find themselves combing through ruins in search of their lost ones, with inadequate resources hampering the recovery of bodies buried under collapsed buildings.
In one poignant narrative, Selim Abu Agbit has been digging through debris with his bare hands, recovering the remains of 25 family members killed during an airstrike in Jabalia last year.
He places these remnants into bags, collecting what is left of his family after their home met its fate in the conflict.
The scale of the missing persons crisis has been described as staggering.
According to government officials, around 11,000 individuals are currently unaccounted for, with varying conditions under which they vanished—some presumed dead without ever reaching medical facilities, while others remain suspected casualties of war.
Rights advocates have criticized Israeli authorities for their lack of transparency regarding the whereabouts of the missing, citing the refusal to provide DNA testing kits necessary for identifying remains before burial.
Multiple appeals have been made to international organizations for urgent humanitarian assistance to clarify the status of the missing.
Reports indicate that the Israeli government has repressed information concerning the return of bodies, complicating families' grieving processes.
In some cases, bodies have been sent back in a deteriorated state, leaving families with no means to identify them, intensifying their grief.
Amid this humanitarian crisis, calls for action from international entities to address the situation of missing persons in Gaza continue to escalate, highlighting a critical need for a systematic approach to record and clarify the status of many individuals.
