RAMALLAH, Palestine / ISTANBUL

A Palestinian rights group accused Israel’s judiciary on Saturday of legitimizing the enforced disappearance of thousands of detainees from Gaza since the war began nearly two years ago.

Marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said the practice escalated sharply after Israel launched its ground offensive on Oct. 27, 2023, and has included women and children.

It said the policy has provided cover for systematic torture, leading to the deaths of dozens of prisoners.

The group stressed that rights organizations remain unable to access reliable figures on Gaza detainees or those who have died in custody, blaming Israel’s refusal to disclose information.

According to the statement, Israeli courts have reinforced the practice by allowing mass detentions under the Unlawful Combatants Law, first passed in 2002 and expanded after the war began. The measure has enabled widespread abuse and indefinite detention without charge, it added.

Citing Israeli data, the group said 2,378 Palestinians from Gaza have been classified as “unlawful combatants” since October 2023. At least 46 Gazans are confirmed to have died in prison, part of 77 Palestinian detainees who have died in Israeli custody since the start of the war.

The rights group urged the international community to move beyond “paralysis” and take concrete steps to hold Israel accountable for “crimes against humanity” against Palestinians.

The UN defines enforced disappearance as the arrest, detention or abduction of a person by state agents, or others acting with state authorization or support, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the detention or disclose the person’s fate or whereabouts.

‏Israel has killed over 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

‏Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.