Benjamin Netanyahu

Palestinian women tell of harrowing experience at hands of Israeli military at reopened Rafah border crossing in Gaza.

Palestinian women have described a “journey of horror” as they passed through the Rafah border crossing on their way home to Gaza from Egypt, with the few allowed to enter the war-torn territory being separated from their children, handcuffed, blindfolded, and interrogated “under threat” for hours.

For the 12 Palestinian women and children allowed to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Monday, the journey back home was “long and exhausting, marked by waiting, fear and uncertainty”, Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Al Khalili said, reporting from Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The small group of returnees was subjected to harsh security procedures by Israeli forces who hold the power at the Rafah crossing to determine “when and if” people will be allowed to return to their homes in the Palestinian territory, Al Khalili said.

“They took everything from us. Food, drinks, everything. Allowing us to keep only one bag,” said one of the returnees, speaking to Al Jazeera about her ordeal at the hands of the Israeli military on Monday.

“The Israeli army called my mother first and took her. Then they called me, and took me,” the woman said.

“They blindfolded me and covered my eyes. They interrogated me in the first tent, asking why I wanted to enter Gaza. I told them I wanted to see my children and return to my country. They tried to pressure me psychologically, wanted to separate me from my children and force me into exile,” she said.

“After questioning me there, they took me to a second tent and asked political questions, which had nothing to do with [the journey]… They told me I could be detained if I didn’t answer. After three hours of interrogation under threat, we finally went on the bus. The UN received us; then we headed to Nasser Hospital. Thank God we were reunited with our loved ones,” she added.

Another member of the group, Huda Abu Abed, 56, told the Reuters news agency that passing through the Rafah border “was a journey of horror, humiliation and oppression”.

Accounts of being blindfolded, handcuffed and interrogated for hours by Israeli forces were given to reporters by three women, Reuters said.

Some 50 Palestinians had been expected to enter the enclave on Monday, but by nightfall, only 12 – three women and nine children – had been allowed through the reopened crossing by Israeli authorities, Reuters said, citing Palestinian and Egyptian sources.

Worse still, of the 50 people waiting to leave Gaza on Monday, mostly for critical medical treatment, only five patients with seven relatives escorting them managed to clear the Israeli inspections and cross into Egypt.

On Tuesday, just 16 more Palestinian patients were allowed to cross into Egypt via Rafah, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said, reporting from Khan Younis.

The numbers being allowed to cross at Rafah are far below the 50 Palestinians who Israeli officials said would be allowed to travel in each direction via the crossing every day, Khoudary said.

“There is no explanation as to why crossings are being delayed at Rafah,” Khoudary said. “The process is taking an extremely long time.”

“There are about 20,000 people waiting [in Gaza] for urgent medical attention abroad,” she added.

Israel says it will reopen the Rafah crossing on Sunday after nearly two years — but only for restricted, tightly controlled movement of people. Humanitarian aid remains barred. Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reports from Rafah as Israel retains full security control.

Jan. 29 (UPI) — Britain, Canada, France and eight other allies on Wednesday “strongly condemned” Israel’s demolition of the United Nations’ Palestinian relief agency building in occupied Palestinian territory, saying it represents the latest “unacceptable move” by the Middle Eastern nation to undermine the U.N.’s ability to operate.

The joint statement from the foreign ministries of Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal and Spain described Israel’s demolition of UNRWA’s East Jerusalem building as “an unprecedented act against a United Nations agency by a U.N. member state.”

“We urge the Government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure the protection and inviolability of United Nations premises in accordance with the provisions of the U.N. General Convention (1946) and the Charter,” the 11 nations said.

“We call upon the Government of Israel, a member of the United Nations, to halt all demolitions.”

The West Bank and East Jerusalem are widely regarded as Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory, and Israeli actions, including the establishment of settlements and the demolition of Palestinian buildings, are widely regarded as illegal under international law.

Israel has long been a vocal critic of UNRWA, alleging it has ties with Hamas, allegations that only intensified after the Iran-backed militant group’s bloody surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, passed laws in the fall of 2024 to ban the agency from operating in land under its control, with the ban going into effect in January 2025.

Last week, Israel demolished UNRWA’s East Jerusalem building.

“UNRWA is a service provider delivering healthcare and education to millions of Palestinians across the region, particularly in Gaza, and must be able to operate without restrictions,” the 11 nations said Wednesday.

The nations also called on Israel to abide by its obligations to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“Despite the increase in aid entering Gaza, conditions remain dire and supply is inadequate for the needs of the population,” they said.

On Tuesday, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that not only had Israel “stormed & demolished” its headquarters, but it was now set on fire.

“Allowing this unprecedented destruction is the latest attack on the U.N. in the ongoing attempt to dismantle the status of Palestine refugees in the occupied Palestinian Territory & erase their history,” Lazzarini said on X.

“Refugee status must be resolved through a genuine political solution, not criminal acts.”

Israel has killed more than 71,600 Palestinians and damaging more than 80% of all of the region’s structures in its war against Hamas in Gaza.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel has killed 492 Palestinians since the fragile cease-fire was announced in October.

Israel has been accused of committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza by a number of nations, international organizations and human rights groups, and the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and its former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges.

Israel has denied the accusations.

“The next phase is not reconstruction.” After the return of the last Israeli captive held in Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu said the next phase of the ceasefire will be “disarming Hamas and demilitarising the Gaza Strip.”