A Palestinian rights group said at least six children from Gaza have gone missing in recent months, with families fearing they were detained by Israeli forces during military operations across the enclave.
Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP) said in a report on Wednesday that the disappearances occurred as the children searched for food or attempted to return home amid widespread destruction and displacement.
The group identified the missing as Siraj Ismail Fayeq Abdel Aal, 16; Mahmoud Jihad Hasan Abu Warda, 14; Saadi Mohammad Saadi Hasanain, 16; Jamal Nihad Jamil Ayyad, 13; Haitham Mohammad Jamil Al-Masri, 17; and Saifan-Allah Fahd Awni Ayash, 16.
“Israeli forces are disappearing Palestinian children under the cover of starvation and siege,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, DCIP’s accountability program director. “Families are searching for their children with no answers, while Israel continues to conceal the identities and locations of Gaza detainees.”
DCIP said the six boys vanished between February 2024 and October 2025. Some were last seen near destroyed homes or checkpoints, while others went missing while displaced. In several cases, relatives later heard from recently released detainees that the children may be held in Israeli prisons, including Ofer, Asqalan, and Naqab.
One of the missing, 16-year-old Saadi Hasanain, disappeared on October 22 after entering the area of his demolished home to collect belongings. His family later found his phone, clothes, and traces of blood, but no sign of him. Another boy, 16-year-old Saifan-Allah Ayash, who suffers from epilepsy, was reportedly detained by Israeli forces in June 2025 after leaving a mosque in central Gaza. His family last heard through the Red Cross that he was being held in Asqalan Prison.
The group said enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions of children violate international law and could amount to crimes against humanity. Under the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Israel is a party, the detention of minors should be used only as a last resort, and families must be informed of their children’s whereabouts.
“Parents searching for their children are left in anguish, receiving no confirmation or acknowledgment from Israeli authorities,” the report said.
Israel has not commented on the specific allegations. The Israeli military has said in the past that it detains individuals suspected of involvement in militant activity and that detainees are treated in accordance with international law.
DCIP said the disappearances reflect “the total erosion of international protection mechanisms” for children in Gaza as Israel’s blockade and military campaign continue.
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