Israeli authorities have allowed only 12 Palestinians to return to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing since its partial reopening on Monday. One returnee described degrading treatment at an Israeli checkpoint, including being shackled, blindfolded, and subjected to lengthy interrogations. The situation has raised concerns about efforts to limit returns and encourage displacement.
Egypt and the Palestinian side partially reopened the Rafah crossing on Monday for the first time since 2024, but returns to Gaza remain severely restricted. The Palestinian Interior Ministry reported that only 12 people were allowed entry by Tuesday morning. Sabah al-Raqab, one of the returnees, departed from Arish in the morning with a group of about 50, but most were sent back to the Egyptian side after waiting at the Palestinian terminal.
Al-Raqab reached an Israeli checkpoint known as the 'Regavim crossing,' located five kilometers northeast of the border on Salah Eddin Road. EU-affiliated vehicles transported them there, where armed personnel stopped them for hours-long interrogations. 'We were shackled and blindfolded, threatened with arrest, and our personal belongings confiscated, including food and children's toys,' al-Raqab told Mada Masr. Soldiers threatened to torture her in front of her child and take him away, before permitting passage without most items, followed by a UN bus to Nasser Medical Complex.
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that the Regavim crossing uses control rooms with facial recognition to verify identities. The new Gaza Administration Committee condemned these actions as 'terrorist practices' aimed at pressuring residents into exile. Fatah sources anticipate Israel will cap returns to facilitate gradual displacement, with around 30,000 Palestinians awaiting in Egypt. The US Embassy in Cairo confirmed the need for security clearance from both Israel and Egypt. Cases like Amira, sent back after her belongings were seized and waiting over 30 hours, and Ziad Saidam, who abandoned his return to preserve dignity, highlight the challenges.
