Amid the rubble of destroyed homes in Gaza, families search for their loved ones some buried under the debris, some imprisoned, and others disappeared without a trace. The issue of missing persons in Gaza’s genocide is among the most complex humanitarian crises, with thousands of families caught between hope and despair due to the absence of an official mechanism to document and uncover their fate.  

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry and Civil Defense, over 14,000 people are missing many presumed killed under the rubble or secretly detained. With time, decomposed bodies become harder to identify, especially given the lack of DNA testing labs in Gaza. Officials report that 600 bodies were recovered after a ceasefire, while 2,842 people were completely obliterated by Israeli bombardment, highlighting the scale of the catastrophe.  

Israel has not disclosed the number or identities of detainees, deepening the uncertainty. Survivors report that Israeli forces set up “death checkpoints,” forcibly disappearing civilians. Meanwhile, hundreds were buried in mass or improvised graves, with families later searching for loved ones, identifying remains only through clothing or personal belongings.  

The disappearance of a father, mother, or spouse leaves families in legal and emotional limbo. Women who lost their husbands remain neither officially widowed nor married, while children endure lasting trauma from the uncertainty surrounding their parents' fate. Experts warn that failure to document these cases enables further impunity and erases families' right to truth and justice.  

The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitorhas launched an initiative to document missing and forcibly disappeared persons in Gaza. Additionally, the Gaza Health Ministry introduced an online database for registering victims, aiming to ensure future accountability.