UN warns of enforced disappearances at Gaza aid sites
United Nations experts have issued a stark warning over reports of Palestinians, including children, being forcibly disappeared while attempting to collect humanitarian aid in southern Gaza. These incidents, described as violations of international law, coincide with mounting concerns over a deepening humanitarian crisis in the region.
Disappearances at aid sites
In a statement released Thursday, seven independent UN experts revealed alarming accounts of individuals disappearing after approaching aid distribution centers operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in Rafah. The incidents were labeled as “heinous crimes” that may constitute acts of torture.
“Reports of enforced disappearances targeting starving civilians seeking their basic right to food are not only shocking but amount to torture,” the experts said. “Using food as a tool to conduct targeted and mass disappearances needs to end now.”
The statement was signed by members of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, and Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food.
The experts accused Israel’s military of involvement, citing its failure to provide information on those detained. They highlighted that the refusal to acknowledge deprivation of liberty constitutes an enforced disappearance under international law.
Famine declared as aid deliveries falter
The warning comes just a week after the UN formally declared a famine in Gaza governorate, blaming what it called Israel’s “systematic obstruction” of humanitarian aid. Gaza’s humanitarian infrastructure has been crippled by airstrikes, blockades, and ongoing violence, leaving thousands at risk of starvation.
Israel has defended its actions, accusing Hamas of looting aid supplies and justifying its strict blockade as a security measure. However, UN reports indicate that nearly 1,900 Palestinians have been killed since late May while attempting to access aid, with more than half of the deaths occurring near GHF distribution sites.
Aid centers under threat
The GHF, established with Israeli and US support to facilitate food distribution, has become the primary channel for humanitarian aid. Yet, its facilities have come under heavy fire, with aerial bombardments and gunfire claiming the lives of both aid workers and civilians.
The UN experts stressed the urgent need for stronger protections at distribution sites to prevent further violence and disappearances. They called on Israeli authorities to clarify the fate of missing individuals and ensure impartial investigations into the incidents.
“An already vulnerable population cannot be further subjected to disappearance, violence, and hunger,” the experts warned.
Calls for accountability
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensifies, international calls for accountability are growing. UN officials emphasized that enforced disappearances and attacks on aid centers violate international law and exacerbate the suffering of civilians already enduring famine and violence.
The experts urged immediate action to protect Palestinians seeking aid, stressing the urgent need for transparency and justice in addressing the disappearances.
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