Three women who re-entered Gaza through Rafah say Israeli forces blindfolded, handcuffed and interrogated them for hours at a screening facility outside Gaza, and pressured one to become an informant. The women were among 12 people allowed through on the first day the crossing reopened after being closed since May 2024. Israel says it is unaware of any misconduct; Hamas and rights groups condemned the allegations and warned they could deter others from returning. About 30,000 people have registered to return, though Israel may permit only roughly 50 re-entries per day.
Women Returning Through Rafah Say They Were Blindfolded, Handcuffed and Interrogated at Israeli Screening Point
Rotana al-Regeb, who was allowed into Gaza from Egypt following the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing, reunites with her children in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Khan Younis, Gaza Strip — Three women who were among the first Palestinians allowed back into Gaza after the Rafah crossing reopened say Israeli personnel blindfolded, handcuffed and interrogated them at a screening facility outside the territory, holding them for hours and subjecting them to what they described as humiliating treatment.
Accounts From Returnees
The three women — including Rotana al-Regeb, who returned with her mother Huda Abu Abed, and 57-year-old Sabah al-Qara — were part of a group of 12 people (mostly women, children and the elderly) who entered Gaza on the first day the crossing reopened after being closed since Israeli forces seized Rafah in May 2024.
Al-Regeb told The Associated Press that after buses passed through Rafah they were taken to an Israeli-controlled screening area. There, she said, members of a Palestinian armed group aligned with Israel (identified by her as Abu Shabab) searched bags and bodies. She said Israeli soldiers then called returnees individually into a small room where her mother was found kneeling, blindfolded and handcuffed. Al-Regeb says soldiers blindfolded and handcuffed her as well, questioned her about Hamas and other matters she denied knowing about, and pressured her to act as an informant.
Rotana al-Regeb, who was allowed into Gaza from Egypt following the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing, reunites with her children in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“They threatened that they will detain me and I won’t return to my children,” al-Regeb said, adding that there was no physical beating but that she endured insults, threats and psychological pressure.
Abu Abed confirmed her daughter’s account. Al-Qara gave a similar description, saying she was handcuffed, blindfolded and questioned about events in Gaza despite having been outside the territory for medical care.
Authorities' Response and Screening Procedures
The Israeli military said it was unaware of "incidents of inappropriate conduct, mistreatment, apprehensions, or confiscation of property by the Israeli security establishment." The Shin Bet security service and COGAT, the military body that coordinates humanitarian access to Gaza, did not immediately provide comment to reporters.
Under arrangements for Rafah’s reopening, a European Union mission and Palestinian officials operate the border crossing itself, while Israel vets names of those allowed to enter and runs a separate screening facility some distance away. The military described the checkpoint as a security measure and said staff there verify identities against Defense Ministry lists and inspect luggage.
Rotana al-Regeb, center, and her mother Huda Abu Abed, 60, a heart patient, get off a bus at Nasser Hospital after 12 Palestinian returnees were allowed into Gaza from Egypt following the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, early Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Delays, Confiscations and Wider Context
Returnees described a long, confusing day: al-Regeb said 42 patients and relatives were brought to the Egyptian side early in the morning and completed paperwork by midmorning, but only one bus carrying 12 people was allowed through that evening. On the Gazan side, members of the European team inspected luggage and — the returnees say — confiscated many items, including mobile phones, food, children's games and electronic devices; travelers said they were allowed only the clothes they wore and one bag per person.
After release from the screening facility, U.N. buses transported the returnees to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where they arrived around 1 a.m. local time.
Reactions and Significance
Hamas condemned the allegations, calling the reported treatment "fascist behavior and organized terrorism" and urging mediators to intervene. Human rights groups and Palestinian officials warned that such reports could deter others from returning and undermine confidence in the delicate reopening process.
Context: More than 110,000 Palestinians left Gaza in the first months of the war before Rafah was shut, and thousands of patients were evacuated abroad. An official at the Palestinian Embassy in Egypt, speaking anonymously, said about 30,000 Palestinians had registered to return. Israeli officials have signaled they may allow roughly 50 people per day to re-enter Gaza — a pace that would make large-scale returns slow and highly selective.
Note: The incidents described here are the returnees' accounts. Israeli authorities deny knowledge of mistreatment; independent verification of all details has not been publicly released.
Help us improve.
