Palestinians coming from Rafah crossing embrace as they arrive at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 5.Ramadan Abed/Reuters
For Sabah Al-Raqab returning to Gaza was meant to bring the hope of seeing her home and loved ones but instead it was a difficult experience of long waits, military checks and threats.
Ms. Al-Raqab said she left Gaza in January, 2024, after her daughter received a medical referral to receive treatment in Egypt. She stayed outside Gaza for more than 24 months until she was informed that it was possible to return with the reopening of the Rafah crossing last week. But the reality was a shock.
“The journey back to Gaza was harsher than we imagined … long hours of waiting, walking on dark roads, military checkpoints, harsh searches and threats,” said Ms. Al-Raqab, 41, a mother of seven children.
The Rafah crossing, on the border between Gaza and Egypt, opened last week for the first time since mid-2024, closed again Friday and Saturday, and reopened on Sunday. In the first few days, only 36 Palestinians requiring medical care were allowed to leave for Egypt, plus 62 companions, according to UN data. The Palestinian Ministry of Health stated about 500 patients a day need to be evacuated from Gaza to reduce suffering. Around 200 patients are currently at the crossing waiting to leave.
Rafah crossing reopens, allowing Palestinians enter Gaza, patients evacuate to Egypt
Although the Rafah crossing is not officially under direct Israeli control, the current operation reflects continued indirect Israeli control over people’s movement. This is done through a system of prior approvals, security checks and military escorts inside Gaza. Multiple parties participate in operating the crossing, including Egyptian authorities, the Palestinian Authority and the European Union mission, in co-ordination with Israel.
Ms. Al-Raqab said that her journey started at 2 a.m. on Feb. 2, the first day designated for the return of Palestinians. The bus carrying her from the Egyptian city of Arish, and dozens of other travellers, reached the crossing gate in about an hour but they had to wait until 8:30 a.m. before their entry started getting processed.
Ms. Al-Raqab said procedures on the Egyptian side were completed relatively quickly, but travellers were then asked to walk toward the Palestinian side of the crossing, where they were received by officials from the European Union mission along with Palestinian Authority personnel. She said the staff asked returnees to leave most of their personal belongings, allowing only one bag with clothes.
After waiting 12 hours, they boarded a bus waiting for them along a dark road. She said the bus moved around 9 p.m. toward Gaza, accompanied by two armoured vehicles from the Israeli army, one in front and one behind. They stopped at a checkpoint manned by local armed men - the Abu Shabab group, according to Ms. Al-Raqab - who asked passengers to give over telephones and tied up their hands before transferring them over to Israeli soldiers.
Israeli-imposed ban on foreign journalists in Gaza still in place, despite ceasefire
Ms. Al-Raqab said she and two other women underwent a body search before being taken to an Israeli military checkpoint. Blindfolded, she said she was questioned by Israelis for 1½ hours. The questioning focused on events of Oct. 7 and people in her social circle, with threats of arrest if she did not answer. She added that she was sprayed with cold water and released after intervention by the European Union delegation.
After her release, she was taken back to the bus with other returnees and they continued toward Khan Younis. The journey ended at the Nasser Medical Complex.
When entering Gaza, Ms. Al-Raqab said she was shocked at the destruction of whole neighbourhoods and the empty streets. She learned her own house was destroyed and some of her family members killed.
“Returning was not to a home, but to a new reality created by war,” she said.