The number of people who have disappeared without a trace during armed conflicts is rapidly increasing. In just the year 2024, the International Committee of the Red Cross recorded 56,000 new cases.
This was announced by the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Khaled Khiari, on behalf of the Department of Political Affairs at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday stated.
In his speech, he called for the immediate and full implementation of Security Council Resolution 2474, adopted in 2019, aimed at protecting the rights of the missing and their families.
"There is no complete statistic on the number of people who have disappeared in conflicts," Khiari said, "but we have enough information to understand the severity of the situation."
He applauded the recent release of Eden Alexander, a US and Israeli citizen, in Gaza, calling it a "ray of hope."
However, according to his words, there are 58 Israeli captives in Gaza. At the same time, thousands of Palestinians, including children, have disappeared without a trace, many are buried under the rubble, and their families do not have information about their fate.
"Israel continues to hold the bodies of deceased Palestinians, including those buried in unidentified graves, depriving families of the opportunity to bury their loved ones. Additionally, the fate of many Palestinians detained since October 2023 remains unknown," he added.
