A Palestinian family in Gaza discovered that their son was alive in an Israeli prison nearly 18 months after they believed he had been killed during the war.
The family of 25-year-old Eid Nael Abu Shaar said he disappeared in December 2024 near the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza while searching for work. After months of searching hospitals, morgues and displacement camps without finding any trace of him, relatives obtained a death certificate and held mourning ceremonies.
The family later received a phone call from a lawyer informing them that Abu Shaar was being held in Israel’s Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank. His mother said the news brought relief but also renewed fear over his condition and treatment in detention. The case highlights the uncertainty faced by many families in Gaza who remain unable to confirm the fate of missing relatives amid ongoing conflict and mass displacement.
