‘Back from the dead’: The continuing agony over Gaza’s 9,500 missing people | Gaza
Families in Gaza Continue to Search for Missing Loved Ones Amidst Uncertainty
Gaza City—The recent return of Hamada al-Banna has brought shock and uncertainty to many families in Gaza still grappling with the disappearance of their loved ones. Al-Banna, believed to have been killed during Israel’s ongoing military operations that began in 2023, was thought to be dead, prompting his family to hold a wake nearly a year ago.
His situation highlights the plight of thousands of families still awaiting definitive news about their missing relatives. The Gaza Ministry of Health reports nearly 3,500 missing persons, while rights groups like Al-Dameer estimate the number at about 9,500.
Al-Banna’s ordeal began during an aid-seeking attempt near the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza, where he was separated from his brother, Adham Yasser al-Banna, who was fatally shot by Israeli forces. Al-Banna recounted his harrowing experience, stating, “I was going home carrying a bag of flour. I was happy that I had managed to get it. Then, suddenly, someone called me and said, ‘Your brother has been killed.’”
Just a month prior, he had lost another brother, Amjad. Struck by disbelief, al-Banna dropped the flour and rushed to search for Adham. A violent explosion followed, injuring him severely. He lost consciousness and awoke two months later at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel, where he spent six months in recovery before being transferred to an Israeli prison. In confinement for four months, al-Banna described his experience as torturous. “For me, death felt better than remaining under the torture and suffering I was witnessing,” he said.
Al-Banna was released approximately two weeks ago, after enduring a year in Israeli captivity. During his absence, Reem Jadallah, his fiancée, tirelessly sought information about his whereabouts, even selling her gold jewelry to hire a lawyer.
After months of searching, the lawyer informed the family that al-Banna had been killed, plunging them into grief. They held a three-day mourning ceremony shortly before his unexpected return.
Upon his release, al-Banna called his father, who initially struggled to comprehend the news. “Are you telling me you’re alive? My son was killed. Are you making fun of me?” his father exclaimed. When al-Banna finally arrived home, his mother fainted upon seeing him.
“I am free now, but I am not the person I used to be,” al-Banna reflected, as he faces the lingering trauma from his time in prison.
While al-Banna has returned to his family, countless other Palestinian families remain in limbo, caught between hope and despair over the fates of their missing members. Among them is the family of Nafez Abed, whose mother, Aziza, expressed, “Waiting for the fate of a prisoner is more cruel than receiving the news of martyrdom.” Abed’s absence has created an indelible void for his wife, Shaimaa Jundiya, and their four children.
In Gaza’s public squares, families of the missing hold vigils, demanding transparency regarding their loved ones. Abdullah Qandil, director of the Waed Association for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners, noted that thousands have urged international organizations to pressure Israel into providing more information about the missing, emphasizing that a lack of news exacerbates the emotional toll on families living in uncertainty.
