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When the Rafah borderline crossing betwixt Gaza and Egypt finally reopened this week, Palestinian officials heralded it arsenic a “window of hope” aft 2 years of warfare arsenic a fragile ceasefire woody moves forward.
But that anticipation has been sidetracked by disagreements implicit who should beryllium allowed through, hours-long delays and Palestinian travellers' reports of being handcuffed and interrogated by Israeli soldiers.
Far less radical than expected person crossed successful some directions. Restrictions negotiated by Israeli, Egyptian, Palestinian and planetary officials meant that lone 50 radical would beryllium allowed to instrumentality to Gaza each time and 50 aesculapian patients — on with 2 companions for each — would beryllium allowed to leave.
But implicit the archetypal 4 days of operations, conscionable 36 Palestinians requiring aesculapian attraction were allowed to permission for Egypt, positive 62 companions, according to United Nations data.
Palestinian officials accidental astir 20,000 radical successful Gaza are seeking to permission for aesculapian attraction that they accidental is not disposable successful the war-shattered territory.
Amid disorder astir the reopening, the Rafah crossing was reportedly closed Friday (February 6, 2026) and Saturday (February 7, 2026).
Hours of questioning
The Rafah crossing is simply a lifeline for Gaza, providing the lone nexus to the extracurricular satellite not controlled by Israel. Israel seized it successful May 2024, though postulation done the crossing was heavy restricted adjacent earlier that.
Several women who managed to instrumentality to Gaza aft its reopening recounted to The Associated Press harsh attraction by Israeli authorities and an Israeli-backed Palestinian equipped group, Abu Shabab. A European Union ngo and Palestinian officials tally the borderline crossing, and Israel has its screening installation immoderate region away.
Rana al-Louh, anxious to instrumentality 2 years aft fleeing to Egypt with her wounded sister, said Israeli screeners asked aggregate times wherefore she wanted to spell backmost to Gaza during questioning that lasted much than six hours. She said she was blindfolded and handcuffed, an allegation made by others.
“I told them I returned to Palestine due to the fact that my hubby and kids are there,” al-Louh said. Interrogators told her Gaza belonged to Israel and that “the warfare would return, that Hamas won't springiness up its weapons. I told him I didn't care, I wanted to return.”
Asked astir specified reports, Israel's subject replied that "no incidents of inappropriate conduct, mistreatment, apprehensions oregon confiscation of spot by the Israeli information constitution are known.”
The Shin Bet quality bureau and COGAT, the Israeli subject assemblage that handles Palestinian civilian affairs and coordinates the crossings, did not respond to questions astir the allegations.
The agelong questioning Wednesday (February 4, 2026) delayed the instrumentality to Gaza of al-Louh and others until astir 2 a.m. Thursday (February 4, 2026).
Later that day, UN quality rights officials noted a “consistent signifier of ill-treatment, maltreatment and humiliation by Israeli subject forces.”
“After 2 years of utter devastation, being capable to instrumentality to their families and what remains of their homes successful information and dignity is the bare minimum,” Ajith Sunghay, the agency's quality rights main for the occupied Palestinian territories, said successful a statement.
Numbers beneath targets
Officials who negotiated the Rafah reopening were wide that the aboriginal days of cognition would beryllium a pilot. If successful, the fig of radical crossing could increase.
Challenges rapidly emerged. On the archetypal day, Israeli officials said 71 patients and companions were approved to permission Gaza, with 46 Palestinians approved to enter.
Inside Gaza, however, organisers with the World Health Organisation were capable to put proscription for lone 12 radical that day, truthful different patients stayed behind, according to a idiosyncratic briefed connected the operations who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorised to talk to the media.
Israeli officials insisted that nary Palestinians would beryllium allowed to participate Gaza until each the departures were complete. Then they said that since lone 12 radical had near Gaza, lone 12 could enter, leaving the remainder to hold connected the Egyptian broadside of the borderline overnight, according to the idiosyncratic briefed connected the operations.
Crossings picked up connected the 2nd day, erstwhile 40 radical were allowed to permission Gaza and 40 to enter. But delays mounted erstwhile galore returning travellers arrived with much luggage than acceptable retired successful the statement reached by negotiators and items that were forbidden, including h2o and different liquids.
Each traveller is allowed to transportation 1 mobile telephone and a tiny magnitude of wealth if they taxable a declaration 24 hours up of travel.
Each clip a Palestinian was admitted to Egypt, Israeli authorities allowed 1 much into Gaza, drafting retired the process.
The problems continued connected Wednesday (February 4, 2026) and Thursday (February 5, 2026), with the numbers allowed to transverse declining. The autobus carrying Wednesday's returnees from the crossing did not scope its drop-off determination successful Gaza until 1:40 a.m. Thursday (February 5, 2026).
Still, immoderate Palestinians said they were grateful to person made the journey.
As Siham Omran's instrumentality to Gaza stretched into aboriginal Thursday (February 5, 2026), she steadied herself with thoughts of her children and husband, whom she had not seen for 20 months.
“This is simply a travel of suffering. Being distant from location is difficult,” she said aft reaching a infirmary successful Gaza. “Thank God we person returned to our country, our homes, and our homeland.”
