3 months ago
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Many hoped the reopening of the Rafah crossing betwixt Egypt and Gaza would bring alleviation to the war-battered territory, but for the archetypal fewer Palestinians allowed to cross, it proved much harrowing than a homecoming.
Three women who entered Gaza connected the archetypal time of the reopening told The Associated Press connected Tuesday (February 3, 2026) that Israeli troops blindfolded and handcuffed them, past interrogated and threatened them, holding them for respective hours and inflicting what they said was humiliating attraction until they were released.
The 3 were among 12 Palestinians — mostly women, children and the aged — who entered Gaza connected Monday (February 2, 2026) done Rafah, which reopened aft being closed for astir of the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli forces seized the crossing successful May 2024.
Asked astir the reports, the Israeli subject said, “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 overseeing humanitarian assistance successful Gaza, did not instantly respond to questions astir the women’s allegations.
The 3 women said the maltreatment took spot astatine a screening presumption connected the borderline of the country of Gaza nether Israeli subject power that each returnees were required to walk done aft crossing Rafah.
The 12 returnees were brought by autobus done the crossing, past drove until they reached the Israeli subject zone, said 1 of the returnees, Rotana al-Regeb, who was coming backmost with her mother, Huda Abu Abed. The 2 had near Gaza successful March past twelvemonth for the parent to get aesculapian attraction abroad.
At the screening station, they were ordered retired of the autobus and members of an Israeli-backed Palestinian equipped group, Abu Shabab, including 1 woman, searched their bags and bodies, she said.
Israeli officers past called them 1 by 1 into a room, she said. She said her parent was called first. When al-Regeb was called, she said she recovered her mother, who is successful her 50s, kneeling connected the floor, blindfolded with her hands handcuffed down her back.
Al-Regeb said Israeli soldiers did the aforesaid with her and took her to an “interrogation country — or, a humiliation room.” They questioned her astir Hamas and different things successful Gaza, “things we didn’t cognize and had nary transportation to,” she said.
They besides pressured her to enactment arsenic an informant for the Israeli military, she said. “They threatened that they volition detain maine and I won’t instrumentality to my children,” said al-Regeb, who has 4 daughters and a son, surviving with her hubby successful a structure successful Khan Younis. “There was nary beating, but determination were insults, threats, and intelligence pressure.”
Abu Abed, her mother, confirmed the relationship to the AP.
The 3rd woman, Sabah al-Qara, a 57-year-old from Khan Younis who near for aesculapian attraction successful Egypt successful December 2023, gave a akin account, describing being handcuffed, blindfolded and interrogated.
“They interrogated america and asked america astir everything that happened successful Gaza,” she said. “We were extracurricular Gaza and knew thing …. The Israelis humiliated us.”
Under the presumption of Rafah’s reopening, a European Union ngo and Palestinian officials tally the borderline crossing itself, though the names of those entering are archetypal approved by Israel. Israel past has its screening installation immoderate region away. The subject said authorities astatine the installation cross-check the identities of radical returning to Gaza with Defence Ministry lists and surface their luggage.
Israeli authorities banned returnees from bringing successful immoderate liquid, including drinking water, according to immoderate of those who crossed backmost to Gaza connected Monday (February 2, 2026). Each rider was allowed to transportation 1 mobile telephone and 2,000 shekels, the equivalent of astir $650, if they submitted a declaration 24 hours up of their travel.
Other electrical and integer devices, arsenic good arsenic cigarettes, are not allowed, according to instructions that were posted connected the Palestinian broadside of the crossing and shared with the AP.
Israel has said checkpoints — some successful Gaza and the occupied West Bank — are for security. But Palestinians and rights groups person agelong claimed that Israel mistreats Palestinians passing done them and tried to stitchery accusation and enlistee informants.
The women’s ordeal came aft a agelong and arduous time for the returnees, with acold less Palestinians entering than expected and disorder implicit the rules.
Al-Regeb said 42 Palestinian patients and their relatives were brought to the Egyptian broadside of Rafah astatine 6 a.m. and completed their paperwork to transverse astatine astir 10 a.m. Monday (February 2, 2026). They past had to hold until astir 6 p.m. for the gross to unfastened for their buses. In the end, lone 1 autobus with the 12 radical was allowed through, she and al-Qara said.
On the Gazan broadside of the crossing, the European squad searched their luggage — loaded with gifts for relatives — and took overmuch of it, al-Regeb and al-Qara said. Al-Regeb said they took mobile phones and food, kids games and physics games. “We were lone allowed to instrumentality the apparel connected our backs and 1 container per person,” she said.
A idiosyncratic acquainted with the concern speaking connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were discussing a diplomatic substance told the AP that returnees were carrying much luggage than anticipated, requiring further negotiations.
The subject said the luggage introduction argumentation had been published successful advance, without elaborating.
Al-Regeb said that aft they were released from the Israeli screening facility, U.N. buses took them to Nasser Hospital successful Khan Younis, wherever they yet arrived astatine 1 a.m. connected Tuesday (February 3, 2026).
“Thank God that I person returned and recovered my loved ones,” she said. “I americium blessed that I americium successful my nation, with my household and with my children.”
Hamas connected Tuesday (February 3, 2026) blasted Israel implicit the allegations of maltreatment against the returnees, calling it “fascist behaviour and organised terrorism.” It called connected mediators to instrumentality contiguous enactment to halt the practices and guarantee travellers’ information and state during transit.
Rights groups and Palestinian officials pass that abuses during the archetypal reopening could deter others from attempting to transverse successful the coming days, undermining assurance successful the fragile process.
More than 110,000 Palestinians near Gaza successful the archetypal months of the warfare earlier Rafah was shut, and thousands of patients were evacuated overseas for treatment. Many are expected to question to return. So far, immoderate 30,000 Palestinians person registered with the Palestinian Embassy successful Egypt to spell backmost to Gaza, according to an embassy official, speaking connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium was not authorized to merchandise the information.
But the crossing lone gives a symbolic accidental astatine return: Israeli officials person spoken of allowing astir 50 Palestinians a time backmost into Gaza.
