From left to right: 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. Photos each courtesy of the child’s family.
Ramallah, November 12, 2025 — Palestinian children continue to disappear in Gaza while searching for food and humanitarian aid amid Israel’s blockade, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International – Palestine.
Over the past several months, DCIP has documented six additional Palestinian children who have gone missing in Gaza: 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, accountability program director at DCIP. “Families are searching for their children with no answers, while Israel continues to conceal the identities and locations of Gaza detainees.”
16-year-old Saadi went missing on October 22, 2025, after entering the area of his destroyed home to collect belongings and firewood. Saadi and four others went to the site shortly after Israeli forces withdrew from the area. Witnesses reported that Israeli quadcopters opened fire, forcing the group to scatter. Two of the boys escaped, while Saadi and another boy were left behind. The next morning, his family found Saadi’s phone, shoes and pants, as well as his shirt tied around the body of the boy with whom he was fleeing. The boy’s head was crushed. His family has since received no information regarding his whereabouts, and they fear he was taken by Israeli forces.
“I believe my son chose not to abandon his injured friend, who was bleeding, and attempted to assist him, but the Israeli forces caught them off guard and took my son,” said Saadi’s mother. “I cannot fathom why this happened.”
13-year-old Jamal went missing on October 6, 2025, after leaving home around noon. Jamal and his family had been displaced due to intensified Israeli military attacks and Jamal had been wanting to return to Gaza City. That morning, following a disagreement with his brother, Jamal left home and did not return. Later that day, a relative reported seeing him near Tabat al-Nwairi, carrying a small bag with personal belongings and heading toward Gaza City, despite road closures and ongoing hostilities. His family has searched hospitals, morgues, and displacement centers across Gaza, but found no trace of him. Jamal’s whereabouts remain unknown, and his family fears he may have been detained by Israeli forces while attempting to return to Gaza City.
16-year-old Saifan-Allah disappeared on June 7, 2025, shortly after attending the noon prayer with his father. The family searched everywhere but could not locate him. Saifan suffers from epilepsy, requires regular medication, and has limited mental capacity, making his disappearance especially alarming. The next evening, Saifan’s father received a call from a man identifying himself as a member of Israeli intelligence, who confirmed that Saifan had been detained for allegedly entering a restricted area. The father pleaded with the man, explaining Saifan’s medical and mental health conditions, but the caller ended the conversation, saying only that “the army will take care of it.” The following day, the Red Cross informed the family that Saifan was being held in Asqalan Prison, though no further information was provided. Since then, the family has received no updates about his condition or whereabouts.
14-year-old Mahmoud, from Deir al-Balah, went missing on July 4, 2024, after leaving home to return to northern Gaza. Displaced from Jabalia due to Israeli attacks, Mahmoud struggled to adjust to displacement and longed to reunite with family members who remained in the north, including a brother who was later killed. On the day he disappeared, Mahmoud told his mother he wanted to go back home, but his parents dismissed it as unlikely due to the extreme danger along the Netzarim corridor. Despite extensive searches through hospitals, morgues, and displacement centers, Mahmoud’s family has found no trace of him. Recently released Palestinian detainees reported seeing Mahmoud alive in an Israeli prison, though Israeli authorities have provided no information regarding his detention or whereabouts.
His mother added, “I still carry his bag of clothes with me every time we are displaced, hoping he will return.”
16-year-old Siraj went missing on June 22, 2024, after leaving his temporary shelter to collect firewood. Displaced by ongoing Israeli attacks, Siraj joined three relatives attempting to return to Gaza City through fields to avoid Israeli forces. Around 6 p.m., Israeli tanks opened fire on the group, killing one boy and injuring others. Only Siraj’s cousin, Tawfiq, survived and was later released after brief detention. Despite extensive searches, no bodies were found. Months later, several relatives detained by Israeli forces reported hearing Siraj’s name in Ofer Prison, indicating he may still be held in Israeli custody. Over a year after his disappearance, his family has still not received any information regarding his whereabouts.
17-year-old Haitham has been missing for almost two years, disappearing on February 10, 2024, after leaving a displacement shelter to cross into the city via the Netzarim checkpoint, which separates the Gaza Strip into two sections. The two attempted to cross through the Netzarim checkpoint, which divides the Gaza Strip into two sections. His family has searched hospitals, morgues, and humanitarian organizations, but received no information. Nearly two years later, the released detainees told Haitham’s father that his son was being held in Naqab Prison.
“I am struggling psychologically,” his father shared. “I have suffered two strokes recently; one affected my leg. I was admitted to Nasser Medical Complex. My wife is also extremely upset. These strokes are a result of this entire situation. How can my son be with me one moment and then just vanish? I am filled with despair, and I feel lost. He is just a child. He is not involved in any of this.”
The disappearances of these children are part of a broader pattern documented by DCIP throughout 2025, as chaos and mass displacement across Gaza have left families without any information about the well-being or whereabouts of their loved ones. Israeli forces have arbitrarily detained hundreds of Palestinians, including children, without charge, trial, or notification to their families. Parents searching for their children are left in anguish, receiving no updates, confirmation, or acknowledgment from Israeli authorities regarding whether their children are alive or where they are held.
Under international law, the enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention of children are prohibited acts that may amount to crimes against humanity. Israel’s actions also violate its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, including Article 37, which requires that the detention of a child be used only as a last resort, and Article 9, which guarantees that children must not be separated from their parents against their will and must be allowed to maintain regular contact with them.
The enforced disappearance of Palestinian children amid Israel’s ongoing blockage and assault reflects the total erosion of international protection mechanisms. As long as Israel continues to act with impunity, Palestinian families will remain trapped in uncertainty, searching endlessly for their missing children.