Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has reported that the Israeli military has kidnapped Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip, as part of what the organization describes as an ongoing act of genocide against Gazans since October 7.

The rights group has urged "Israel" to reunite the children with their parents. Expressing concern over the alarming kidnapping of children and the unexplained disappearance of numerous Palestinian detainees from the Strip, Euro-Med Monitor emphasized the need for the international community to fulfill its obligations and exert pressure on "Israel" to guarantee their safe return.

The organization based in Geneva emphasized its grave concern over the details released by Israeli Army Radio on January 1, 2024.

Israeli officer kidnaps Palestinian infant

According to the report, Israeli officer Harel Itach, a Givati Brigade commander, allegedly kidnapped a Palestinian infant from her family home in Gaza following the killing of her family members. The specific date of the incident was not disclosed, but the organization underscored the significance of taking this information seriously.

After learning about the Israeli officer's death on December 22, 2023, due to injuries sustained in the Gaza war, a close associate of Itach revealed the alleged kidnapping incident. The friend disclosed that the whereabouts of the Palestinian baby remains unknown. Euro-Med Monitor voiced profound apprehension, expressing fear that this incident involving the officer and the Palestinian infant is not an isolated occurrence. The rights group cited numerous testimonies it has received, indicating a pattern where the Israeli army reportedly detains and relocates Palestinian children without providing information about their whereabouts.

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It is worth mentioning that earlier on Tuesday the Palestinian Authority's Foreign Ministry condemned the "kidnapping" of a Palestinian infant girl by an Israeli officer in the Gaza Strip, calling on the occupation to release her. 

The ministry issued the request on Tuesday, following recent statements by Israeli soldier Shachar Mendelson, an associate of Captain Harel Itach, who revealed to the Israeli Army Radio that the officer had allegedly admitted a Palestinian infant to a hospital in the occupied territories after Israeli airstrikes resulted in the loss of the infant's entire family in Gaza.

Read next: IOF turned Gaza into children's biggest graveyard: Euro-Med Monitor

Additionally, Euro-Med Monitor has been receiving distressing reports from numerous Palestinian families who have lost communication with their children. The organization highlighted that these reports predominantly originate from regions experiencing Israeli ground incursions.

Euro-Med Monitor emphasized that the threat of Israeli soldiers forcibly relocating and disappearing children is escalating. This concern is particularly pronounced as hundreds of Palestinian families have reported the disappearance of one or more of their children. 

Rushdi al-Zhaza: Missing wife and two children

Rushdi al-Zhaza, a former detainee who was released from Israeli custody, revealed that he and his family were detained a month ago from their home in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the southern part of Gaza City. Al-Zhaza told Euro-Med Monitor that the current whereabouts of his wife and two children remain unknown. Recounting the incident, he explained that the Israeli army detained him, his wife Hadeel Youssef al-Dahdouh, along with their two children, four-year-old Mohamed and six-month-old Zein, while they were inside their own house.

Al-Zhaza recounted that the two children were forcibly taken from their mother's arms, and when she protested, Israeli soldiers restrained her, took off her headscarf, and abducted her along with the kids. Despite weeks passing, al-Zhaza was released without any information on the whereabouts or health status of his wife and children. According to him, the Israeli army claimed that the children needed analysis to verify they were not Israelis held in the Gaza Strip. That said, Euro-Med Monitor underscored that such actions are strictly prohibited under international law, irrespective of any motives or reasons.

12-year-old blonde girl is missing 

In another account documented by Euro-Med Monitor, a Palestinian woman shared that a few weeks ago, during an evacuation from Gaza City to the southern part of Wadi Gaza Nature Reserve through the 'Netzarim' checkpoint, Israeli soldiers detained a 12-year-old girl with blonde hair. The woman observed the girl's parents trying to intervene, but the soldiers insisted on taking the child away, suspecting her of being an Israeli captive—even though she was speaking Arabic and accompanied by her parents.

Read next: Gaza children killed in 3 weeks exceed annual conflicts toll in 3 yrs

On that note, numerous displaced families from northern Gaza or the raided areas of Khan Younis have reported the heartbreaking loss of their children during evacuations or home bombings.

Based on preliminary estimates, Euro-Med suggested that over 3,000 individuals, among them 200 women and young girls, have been apprehended by Israeli forces. These Palestinians are being held in detention, a clear violation of international law, and there is a lack of official information regarding the charges they face or the conditions under which they are being held.