Justice For All Condemns the Israeli Military’s Illegal Seizure of Property from Arbitrarily Detained Palestinians in Gaza

Apr. 20, 2025

Justice For All strongly condemns the Israeli military’s ongoing and systematic confiscation of personal belongings, including cash and valuables, from Palestinian civilians detained in Gaza. This shocking conduct represents a clear and grave breach of international humanitarian law.
Haaretz reported on April 15, 2025, that the Israeli military has admitted taking thousands of items — including cash, identity documents, phones and personal valuables — from Palestinian detainees since the ground invasion began in 2023. Many of these detainees were later released without charges, and without their property being returned. The military refuses to disclose the amount or whereabouts of the confiscated property, citing classified status, but failing to provide any legal framework for their actions.

These are not isolated incidents. Human rights groups such as B’Tselem have documented repeated cases of released detainees walking out of military facilities barefoot, without phones, wallets or even IDs. The psychological trauma of losing family photographs, religious items and basic documents only compounds the cruelty of their detention.

The Israeli military’s behavior violates fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including:

• Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits pillage.
• Article 147, which defines unlawful appropriation of civilian property as a war crime.
• The 1907 Hague Regulations, which require respect for private property, even during wartime.
• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which prohibits arbitrary detention and interference with personal effects (Articles 9 and 17).

International law is clear: arbitrary confiscation is forbidden; property taken without legal justification must be returned. The Israeli military’s blanket refusal to return personal property — even after release — represents a serious breach of these obligations. In addition, its refusal to release operational orders or comply with Freedom of Information requests suggests a deliberate pattern of abuse — one that must be investigated and stopped.

As a U.S.-based human rights organization, Justice For All is particularly alarmed that these actions are being carried out by a military force that receives billions annually in American taxpayer funding. Such conduct erodes international law and threatens the credibility of governments that enable such actions.

Justice For All calls on the Israeli military immediately to:

• Return all unlawfully seized belongings to affected Palestinian civilians.
• Publicly release all orders and procedures related to the confiscation of detainees’ property.
• Comply with international and Israeli transparency laws, including Freedom of Information requests.

We urge the U.S. government and the international community to condition continued support to Israel on compliance with international law. The Israeli military must be held accountable under international law and should not be allowed to act with impunity in its treatment of occupied and detained populations. The dehumanization of detainees through the theft of their personal belongings is a gross abuse of power. Justice For All stands with Palestinian civilians and demands justice, accountability and the restoration of basic human dignity.