Summary
Many families in Gaza are desperately searching for missing relatives nearly two years into a destructive war. Thousands are unaccounted for, either buried beneath rubble or disappeared during military operations. The search is complicated by the chaos of war and difficulties like lack of DNA-testing resources.
Key Facts
- Families like Mohammad al-Najjar's are searching for loved ones missing since the war began in December 2023.
- An estimated 6,000 people could be buried under rubble, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
- About 3,600 others are reported missing with their fate unknown.
- The International Committee of the Red Cross reports over 7,000 unresolved missing persons cases.
- Investigating missing persons requires advanced DNA technology, which is limited in Gaza.
- Israel has not released detailed information on prisoners or allowed DNA-testing supplies into Gaza.
- The chaos of military operations and mass displacements has made it easier for people to vanish without a trace.
- Israel has faced accusations from U.N. experts and rights groups of committing genocide, which it denies.
