Leaked image of Al-Aqqad women in custody; fuels enforced disappearances

• GLAN and Sky News report alleged enforced disappearance of two Palestinian women since Dec 2023.
• A deleted image reportedly shows them blindfolded with 'Israeli' soldiers.
• Family says raids led to killings and multiple detentions.
• 'Israel' claims brief detention and release, but no proof provided.

A joint investigation released today by the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and Sky News has uncovered disturbing evidence regarding the disappearance of two Palestinian women, mother and daughter, raising urgent questions about an alleged 'Israeli' military policy of "enforced disappearances" of civilians in Gaza.

Huda Al Aqqad (41) and her 77-year-old mother, Aisha Bakr Ahmed Al Aqqad, have not been seen since December 2023.

Long presumed dead amid the heavy fighting in Khan Younis, their case was reignited by the discovery of a "trophy" photograph posted to social media by an Israeli soldier.

Photograph shattered silence

The image, originally posted on Instagram on May 21, 2024, by a member of the 'Israeli' military, shows the two women blindfolded and seated in the back of a military vehicle.

The contrast in the image is stark: Huda and Aisha sit with blank expressions, holding hands for comfort, while three 'Israeli' soldiers opposite them smile for the camera. One soldier is seen pointing a pistol directly at the captive women.

GLAN’s investigative team preserved the image before it was deleted and has since identified the soldiers as Dolev David Mor Yosef, Amit Yaniv Elyakov, and Ido Dror Meir of the 12th Battalion, Golani Brigade.

Family torn apart

The investigation reconstructed the events of December 8, 2023. According to family testimony, the Al Aqqad family remained in their Khan Younis home because Aisha and her husband, Mohammed, were too elderly to comply with forced displacement orders.

Dec 8: Mohammed Al Aqqad was shot and killed by 'Israeli' forces while praying in his courtyard.

Dec 9: 'Israeli' forces raided the neighbor's house where the family sought refuge.

The abduction: Aisha, Huda, and their brothers Zakaria and Iyad were detained. Iyad, who survived 'Israeli' custody, recounted the harrowing moment he saw his elderly mother being dragged away while attempting to cling to Zakaria.

Zakaria's fate remains unknown, though he is believed to have been killed.

Deliberately vague

When confronted with the photograph, the 'Israeli' military claimed the women were only "temporarily detained" and released shortly after the picture was taken. However, they provided no dates, locations, or documentation to support this claim.

Lawyers for GLAN have dismissed this response as a "deliberate form of concealment."

"The Israeli military has a known history of disseminating falsehoods," says Maira Pinheiro, a consultant lawyer for the investigation.

"The only reason they admit to detaining Huda and Aisha is because the ‘celebratory’ photograph was uncovered. Their refusal to provide verifiable information is extremely cruel."

GLAN has also received eyewitness testimony suggesting that some Palestinians "released" from custody are dropped directly into "kill zones", areas where soldiers have standing orders to shoot any person on sight.

Pattern of disappearance

Legal experts argue the treatment of the Al Aqqad women violates the Geneva Conventions, specifically Article 27, which mandates that civilians be protected from "insults and public curiosity."

Dearbhla Minogue, Legal Co-Lead at GLAN, stated:

"Blindfolding an elderly woman and her daughter and mocking them by posting an image of them held at gunpoint online is a clear breach.

'Israel' is required by law to account for the whereabouts of these women and the many others who have disappeared in custody."

The investigation suggests this case is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern where hundreds, possibly thousands, of Gazans have been forcibly disappeared after being detained by the 'Israeli' military.