DaysofPal- Returning to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing has not marked the end of displacement, but the beginning of a new confrontation with pain and humiliation.
Palestinians scattered by war, with every route once sealed off, are now returning under harsh conditions and degrading procedures—carrying what remains of their memories and wounds.
Many say they would rather endure Gaza’s dust than life in forced exile, and the rubble of destroyed homes than prolonged separation. Yet testimonies from the journey back reveal Israeli interrogations, threats, and violations that accompanied their return.
On Monday evening, the first bus arrived in Gaza carrying 12 returnees, most of them women, after a long wait amid the closure of the Rafah land crossing. A second bus followed on Tuesday morning.
Journalistic sources reported that 30 out of 42 Palestinians attempting to return to Gaza were denied entry and sent back to the Egyptian side.
According to the same sources, masked armed men stopped returnees at a checkpoint located about 500 meters from the Rafah crossing. They were then handed over to an Israeli occupation post, where they were interrogated and had their belongings confiscated.
Interrogation
One Palestinian woman recounted some of the abuse endured along the way, describing hours-long interrogations and threats—particularly against women.
“They interrogated us for hours, me and a group of women,” she said. “They threatened me with my children, telling me they would take them away if I didn’t answer as they wanted. They also threatened to detain me in Israeli prisons.”
In a cry that reflects the collective pain of Gazans, she firmly rejected forced displacement. “No to displacement. No one should leave Gaza. Outside Gaza is death and humiliation,” she said.
She added that Israeli occupation authorities barred returnees from bringing in most of their belongings, including water, perfumes, and gifts, allowing only one small bag with limited clothing.
The woman stressed that Israeli forces are attempting to push as many Palestinians as possible out of Gaza, while allowing only a small number to return.
coercion
In another testimony, a second Palestinian woman revealed direct attempts at coercion, saying she was asked to work as an informant for the Israeli army inside Gaza.
A third woman described the systematic humiliation during the journey, recalling the multiple checkpoints and repeated searches. “They searched us at more than one point, rummaged through our bags, and broke some of our belongings. The road was long and exhausting. Every step was filled with humiliation, but despite everything, we held on to reaching Gaza,” she said.
The Rafah crossing remains the only gateway to the outside world for more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, including students, patients, and traders. It is also the main entry point for medical, food, and fuel aid, and a vital symbol of Gaza’s geographic connection to the Arab world.
On Sunday, the Rafah crossing was reopened on a “trial basis” in both directions for the first time since the occupation of Rafah city on May 7, 2024, when the crossing was fully closed to civilians, including humanitarian cases.
Despite the reopening, strict Israeli restrictions continue to be imposed, particularly on patients and wounded individuals awaiting travel for medical treatment, as well as Palestinians stranded in Egypt hoping to return to Gaza.
Recent images show extensive damage to the crossing since Israel’s ground incursion in May 2024. While parts of the road have been repaved and new corridors prepared to facilitate the movement of patients, Israel continues to occupy the Palestinian side of the crossing as part of its ongoing war on Gaza since October 2023.
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