A number of Palestinians, including a child, have been reported missing in connection with GHF's food distributions in Rafah in southern Gaza, according to seven independent experts quoted by AFP.
According to the UN-affiliated expert group, Israel's military is directly involved in the disappearances, which they describe in a statement as a "shocking, heinous crime" that can be equated with torture.
According to the statement, Israel - in contravention of international law - has refused to disclose information about the whereabouts of the individuals in question. The exact number of people involved is not clear.
In response to the statement, GHF claims that there is "no evidence" of enforced disappearances, reports AFP.
The expert group behind the allegations works under a mandate from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), but does not represent the UN as a whole. Among the experts are Michael Fakhri, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, and Francesca Albanese, the UN rapporteur for the Palestinian territories.
Israeli-American GHF has faced widespread criticism since the operation began at the end of May, after a more than two-month-long Israeli total blockade of aid. The food distributions have been marked by chaos and fatalities, and in several reports, GHF employees and Israeli soldiers have testified that aid-seeking Palestinians are intentionally shot at distribution sites.
According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), more than 1,850 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid since May, over 1,000 of them in connection with GHF's stations.
