GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared has condemned the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) for obstructing rescue teams from recovering the bodies of Palestinian martyrs killed while seeking humanitarian aid in northern Gaza.
The organization described the Israeli policy as a “systematic and inhumane practice” that deepens the suffering of grieving families and violates international humanitarian law.
In a statement issued Monday, the center said the IOF has prevented civil defense crews from entering the Golden Hall area near Al-Sudaniya to retrieve bodies of civilians killed in a massacre—when dozens of Palestinians were targeted while waiting for food assistance.
Despite repeated requests made through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Israeli army continues to deny access. As a result, dozens remain missing, and many families are being denied the right to bury their loved ones with dignity.
The center noted that only five days after the attack, rescue teams were allowed limited access, recovering 15 severely decomposed bodies—a delay that humanitarian groups say reflects Israel’s disregard for human life and dignity.
The IOF also continues to block access to search for two missing women. One victim from the Salem family was located near the Beit Lahia project entrance, and another from the Al-Attar family was found near Abu Tamam School. In both cases, the IOF refused to coordinate timely search efforts.
The statement underscored that this tragedy is part of a much larger crisis: thousands remain missing, many presumed buried beneath rubble or trapped in areas rendered inaccessible due to military occupation.
The center warned that the international community’s failure to compel Israel to adhere to humanitarian standards has emboldened it to prolong the suffering of Palestinian families.
“This conduct constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” the statement emphasized, citing legal obligations that require all parties in a conflict to respect the bodies of the dead and to allow rapid, unhindered access to rescue teams.
The center held Israel fully responsible for the ongoing disappearance of victims and for preventing their dignified burial.
It called on the International Committee of the Red Cross, OCHA, and other global organizations to go beyond symbolic coordination and apply serious, sustained pressure on Israeli authorities to allow rescue missions to proceed without obstruction.
It also warned that the world’s silence in the face of such inhumane behavior not only prolongs the grief of bereaved families but effectively greenlights further violations.
