Palestinian Missing Persons Center Warns of Civilian Disappearances Near Israeli Aid Points in Gaza

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Palestinians continue to vanish near Israeli-controlled aid distribution points in Gaza. The Palestinian Center for Missing and Forcibly Disappeared Persons raised the alarm on Friday, reporting a surge in disappearances during attempts to reach aid stations set up by the Israeli army.

According to the center, Israeli gunfire near the military-controlled areas of Miraj, Tel al-Sultan, and Netzarim killed 11 civilians and wounded around 100 others. Several people went missing after the incidents. Their families have not heard from them since.

Among the missing are Diaa Faisal Siyam and his son Mohammed from Khan Younis, Riyad al-Najjar from Rafah, and Abdullah Ahmad Mughari, a man with disabilities. All disappeared while heading to collect aid. Their fate remains unknown.

The center condemned the Israeli tactic of placing aid points deep inside dangerous military zones. It called the policy a deliberate trap for civilians. “These areas are death zones,” the center said in a statement, describing the strategy as a grave violation of international humanitarian law.

It urged the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to act immediately. The center demanded a full investigation into the fate of the missing and called for urgent international protection for civilians seeking food and medicine.

Last month, UN agencies and global humanitarian groups publicly rejected a US-Israeli aid mechanism proposed for Gaza. In a joint statement, they said the plan “contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles.” They also warned that the system is being used as a military tool to control life-saving supplies.

The proposal would remove the UN’s role in aid distribution. Instead, it would hand over control to the Israeli military. The new system forces Palestinians into what aid agencies describe as “militarized zones” to collect food, placing civilians in direct danger.

“It’s not humanitarian,” the statement read. “It endangers lives, forces displacement, and turns hunger into a weapon of war.”

Since Israel’s ground invasion began in late October 2023, and especially after a strict blockade imposed by Israel three months ago on Gaza, access to aid has become increasingly perilous. With food, water, and medicine scarce, thousands risk death just to reach distribution sites.

Now, as reports of disappearances grow, rights groups fear many more may be missing — or worse.