Gaza, MINA – Palestinians returning to the Gaza Strip through the recently reopened Rafah crossing have reported a repeated pattern of mistreatment, abuse, and humiliation by Israeli military forces, according to the UN human rights office, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a statement, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said returnees stated they were taken after crossing by armed Palestinians allegedly backed by the Israeli army to an Israeli military checkpoint.
Accounts described individuals being bound, blindfolded, searched, threatened, intimidated, and having personal belongings and money stolen. At the checkpoint, returnees reported violence, degrading interrogations, and invasive body searches, sometimes conducted while bound and blindfolded violating their privacy.
Returnees also said soldiers denied some access to medical care and blocked them from using toilets, leading to severe humiliation, including forcing some to urinate in public.
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The office said several returnees reported being asked whether they would accept money to return to Egypt with their families and never go back to Gaza, while others were offered money to work as informants for the Israeli army.
The UN rights office said these accounts indicate a pattern that violates Palestinians’ rights to personal security and dignity, as well as protection from torture, ill-treatment, and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
The reported behavior raises serious concerns about coercive practices that may deter Palestinians from exercising their right to return, potentially contributing to “the consolidation of ethnic cleansing in Gaza.”
Office Director Ajith Sunghay stated the international community bears responsibility for ensuring all measures related to Gaza comply with international law and fully respect Palestinians’ human rights.
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“After two years of devastation, their ability to return to their families and what remains of their homes safely and with dignity is the bare minimum,” Sunghay said.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric called on all parties to “uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
Dujarric added that UN teams received 25 additional returnees overnight and provided transportation to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where a reception center with protection specialists, psychologists, and medical staff supports new arrivals.
The World Health Organization supported the evacuation of 22 patients and 31 companions from Gaza to Egypt on Wednesday and Thursday. WHO emphasized the need for greater humanitarian aid entry, health service acceleration, facility rehabilitation, and expanded critical services to reduce reliance on medical evacuations.
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Dujarric reiterated calls to reopen the medical referral route to the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to improve access to care for over 18,500 patients in Gaza requiring specialized treatment unavailable locally.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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