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For thousands of Palestinian families successful Gaza, the ongoing Israeli genocidal war is not conscionable astir the immense nonaccomplishment of life, utter demolition and relentless bombardment, but the agonising soundlessness of missing loved ones swallowed by Israel’s detention system.
“We bash not cognize if helium is detained oregon a martyr,” the woman of Abdul Rahman, a young antheral who disappeared successful January, told Al Jazeera. “We filled retired galore forms … but anticipation inactive exists.”
This intelligence limbo was highlighted this week by the lawsuit of Hamza Adwan, a 67-year-old detainee whose household was informed of his decease connected Sunday – 4 months aft helium really died successful custody connected September 9, 2025.
Adwan, a begetter of 9 who had already mislaid 2 sons earlier the war, was arrested astatine a checkpoint connected November 12, 2024. According to his family, helium was detained contempt suffering from superior wellness issues, including bosom disease, and requiring changeless aesculapian care.
The delayed notification of his decease is not an isolated incident. It reflects a systematic argumentation of “enforced disappearance” – creating a full void of accusation that the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society picture arsenic an integral portion of the ongoing “war of genocide”.
A strategy of uncertainty
In testimonies gathered by Al Jazeera, families described a chaotic world wherever authoritative accusation is often scarce oregon contradictory.
The begetter of Amro, a young antheral arrested successful December 2024, lives successful a cruel authorities of uncertainty. He was initially told by officials that his lad had died successful custody connected December 13. However, released prisoners aboriginal reported seeing Amro live aft that date.
“We unrecorded connected anticipation that helium is live and well,” the begetter said, contempt fearing his lad whitethorn person been subjected to “unimaginable torture”.
‘Legalising’ execution
The rights groups accused Israel of pursuing a argumentation of “slow execution” done starvation, aesculapian neglect, and torture, aimed astatine making this “the deadliest signifier successful the past of the Palestinian captive movement”.
They warned that this surge successful deaths coincides with Israeli governmental efforts to walk legislation approving the execution of Palestinian prisoners.
According to the groups, this determination aims to “legalise” extrajudicial killings and alteration them from actions taken extracurricular the instrumentality into a “legitimate and codified policy”.
This legislative propulsion targets a colonisation wherever the immense bulk are held without complaint oregon trial.
By the numbers
The Commission and the Prisoner’s Society released alarming caller statistic illustrating the standard of the crackdown. As of January 2026, the full fig of Palestinians held successful Israeli prisons has surpassed 9,300.
Most are legally successful limbo, including:
- 3,385 administrative detainees, held indefinitely connected concealed grounds without trial.
- 1,237 detainees classified arsenic “unlawful combatants”, a designation Israel uses to clasp Palestinians from Gaza without granting them prisoner-of-war presumption oregon ineligible rights.
With the confirmation of Adwan’s death, the fig of prisoners known to person died successful Israeli custody since the warfare began has risen to 87, including 51 from Gaza.
ICRC denied access
Compounding the families’ distress is the paralysis of planetary monitors. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed to Al Jazeera that it remains wholly barred from visiting Palestinian detainees.
“The ICRC has not been capable to entree detainees held successful Israeli detention centres since October 2023,” Amani Al Naouq, the ICRC spokesperson successful Gaza, told Al Jazeera.
“We are perpetually receiving inquiries from families acrophobic astir the wellness and information of their loved ones,” she added.
Medics nether fire
The crackdown has not spared those redeeming lives. On Monday, aesculapian unit successful Gaza held a protestation demanding the merchandise of 30 doctors and paramedics detained from Kamal Adwan Hospital alone.
Protesters held banners and photos of dozens of detained colleagues, prominently featuring Dr Hussam Abu Safia, the infirmary manager who was seized portion treating patients.
“These heroes … were arrested extracurricular the model of planetary humanitarian law,” said Fares Afana, manager of ambulance services. “The testimonies we perceive from those released are beyond the comprehension of the quality mind.”
Another aesculapian typical astatine the rally warned of the lethal risks facing detainees, pointing to the destiny of Dr Iyad al-Rantisi, the manager of the maternity section astatine Kamal Adwan Hospital, who died nether interrogation.
“Our colleagues person been subjected to kidnapping and torture … and adjacent sidesplitting wrong detention centres, conscionable arsenic happened with Dr al-Rantisi,” the typical said.
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