Rafah Crossing Reopens As Women Report Disturbing Gaza Return Ordeal

[Mudhab]

The partial reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza has brought renewed attention to the suffering of displaced Palestinians, following troubling accounts from women who recently returned home. Their experiences raise serious concerns about the conditions faced by civilians attempting to re-enter Gaza after prolonged displacement and border closures.

According to the women, they were subjected to blindfolding, handcuffing, and prolonged interrogation by Israeli soldiers at a military screening point inside Gaza. They reported being questioned about Hamas and internal Gaza matters they claimed to have no knowledge of. The interrogations, which reportedly lasted several hours, were described as intimidating and deeply distressing.

Only twelve Palestinians were permitted to return on the first day of the crossing's reopening, despite thousands being registered and waiting. The women said they were pressured to provide information and cooperate as informants, a demand they firmly rejected. Although they reported no physical assault, they described the treatment as degrading and psychologically abusive.

One of the returnees recounted finding her elderly, sick mother kneeling on the ground, blindfolded and restrained. The women alleged that soldiers issued threats of detention, separation from family, and permanent loss of access to their children, intensifying their fear and trauma during the process.

The journey back into Gaza was also described as exhausting and chaotic. The group reportedly waited more than twelve hours before crossing, had most of their belongings confiscated, and were restricted to carrying limited cash and a single mobile phone each. They eventually arrived in Khan Younis late at night, physically drained and emotionally shaken.

While the Israeli military has denied any record of abuse, Palestinian rights organizations insist such incidents are common and part of broader intimidation practices. Hamas condemned the alleged actions and warned that restrictive entry limits—reportedly as low as fifty people per day—could discourage thousands, including medical patients, from attempting to return, rendering the reopening largely symbolic rather than humanitarian.

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