Gaza Mother and Daughter Still Missing Two Years After Alleged Abduction by Israel

Two years have passed since Aisha and Huda Al Aqqad were forcibly taken from their home in southern Gaza by Israeli soldiers, yet their fate remains shrouded in uncertainty. Their family, desperate for answers, continues to challenge Israel's assertions that the mother and daughter have been released, insisting they remain missing.

“

The occupation (Israeli) cannot evade its legal responsibility established under the provisions of international humanitarian law.

The harrowing incident occurred in December 2023, when Israeli troops raided the Al Aqqad family home. During the operation, Aisha's husband and Huda's father, Mohamad, was killed, and their son, Eyad, was detained. The abduction of Aisha and Huda added another layer of anguish to an already devastated family.

Recent revelations, including a photograph published by a soldier showing the blindfolded women in a vehicle with smiling Israeli soldiers, have fueled the family's anguish and strengthened their resolve. The image, capturing a moment of apparent indifference or even celebration by the captors, stands in stark contrast to the family's desperate pleas for information. The Israeli military's response, stating that the women were only "temporarily detained on the ground and released shortly thereafter in the Gaza Strip," has been met with strong denial from the Al Aqqad family, who accuse the "occupation" of evading its legal responsibilities under international humanitarian law.

“

The Israeli occupation is obligated, under the provisions of international humanitarian law in general and the Geneva Conventions in particular, to search for, investigate, and reveal the whereabouts of the missing.

This case is not isolated. According to HaMoked, an Israeli human rights organization, Aisha and Huda are among at least 3,000 Palestinians who have disappeared since the conflict began in October 2023, with at least 800 last seen in Israeli custody. The family's ongoing struggle highlights the profound human cost of the conflict and the urgent need for transparency and accountability regarding the fate of those detained or disappeared.

“

Aisha and Huda Al Aqqad are not in our custody. Mother and daughter were only temporarily detained on the ground and released shortly thereafter in the Gaza Strip, in an area far from the troops' area of operations.