DaysofPal — The Gaza Center for Human Rights has warned that ongoing Israeli restrictions preventing Palestinians from returning to the Gaza Strip enforce Israeli forced displacement policy.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the rights group said it has documented a growing number of cases in recent weeks in which the Israeli occupation has denied Gaza residents the return to the enclave.
Those affected include women, children, the elderly, and the sick, often under security refusal procedures, without explanation or access to an effective appeals process.
According to the rights center, Palestinians seeking to return must register with the Palestinian embassy in Cairo or through private coordination companies, after which their requests are submitted to Israeli authorities for prior approval.
The process can take days or weeks, and rejections have increasingly been used to restrict individuals’ ability to return to their homes, the group said.
The organization highlighted cases of women stranded outside Gaza for months or years after being denied permission to reunite with their families.
It also cited patients who have completed medical treatment abroad but remain unable to return, facing difficult humanitarian and psychological conditions.
Testimonies collected by the center indicate that many applicants were surprised to have their requests rejected despite completing all required procedures, prolonging their separation from relatives without clear justification.
Even those granted permission to return are subjected to complex and degrading security measures, including lengthy inspections, repeated interrogations, and the confiscation of personal belongings.
The statement also documented cases of detention and ill-treatment affecting some returnees, including women.
The center said these practices point to a systematic policy that goes beyond stated security considerations, aiming to discourage Palestinians from returning, weaken family and social ties, and impose arbitrary restrictions on freedom of movement.
It added that such measures violate international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Fourth Geneva Convention, and amount to crimes against humanity if carried out as part of a widespread or systematic attack against civilians.
The Gaza Center for Human Rights called on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and UN special rapporteurs to take urgent action to ensure the unconditional return of Palestinians stranded outside Gaza, end arbitrary denial policies, and establish humanitarian crossing mechanisms that respect human dignity.
The statement concluded by stressing that the right to return, freedom of movement, and family unity are fundamental rights guaranteed under international law and should not be restricted.
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