Israel subjects Gaza returnees to abuse, coercion and humiliation at Rafah crossing: UN
The UN rights office warns that the reported mistreatment by Israeli forces may deter forcibly displaced Palestinians from returning home, contributing to 'the consolidation of ethnic cleansing in Gaza'.
Palestinians returning to Gaza through the recently reopened Rafah crossing are facing a recurring pattern of abuse, humiliation and coercion by Israeli military forces, the UN human rights office said on Friday.
In a statement, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said returnees reported that after crossing they were intercepted by armed Palestinians, allegedly backed by the Israeli army, and were taken to Israeli military checkpoints.
According to multiple accounts, some of those armed individuals bound and blindfolded returnees, searched them, threatened and intimidated them, and stole personal belongings and money.
Once at Israeli checkpoints, returnees described violent treatment, degrading interrogations and invasive body searches that violated their privacy. In some cases, searches were carried out while individuals’ hands were tied and their eyes covered.
No medical care, no basic needs
Others said they were denied access to medical care and prevented from using toilets, forcing some to urinate in public.
Several returnees also reported being asked whether they would accept money to return to Egypt with their families and never go back to Gaza, while others said they were offered cash to work as informants for the Israeli army.
The OHCHR said the accounts point to a pattern of behaviour that violates Palestinians’ rights to personal security and dignity and their protection from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The office warned that such practices could deter displaced Palestinians from exercising their right to return, contributing to what it described as “the consolidation of ethnic cleansing in Gaza.”
Office Director Ajith Sunghay said the international community must ensure all measures related to Gaza comply with international law.
“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,” he said.
‘Uphold obligations under international humanitarian law’
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
He said UN teams received 25 additional returnees overnight through Rafah, with staff from the UN Development Programme transporting them to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where a reception centre staffed by protection specialists, psychologists and medical teams is operating.
The World Health Organization said it supported the evacuation of 22 patients and 31 companions from Gaza to Egypt this week and stressed the need to expand humanitarian access, restore damaged health facilities and scale up essential services.
A ceasefire that took effect on October 10 was meant to end a two-year Israeli offensive that killed nearly 72,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 171,000 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Despite the truce, Israeli forces have continued operations, killing at least 574 more Palestinians and injuring over 1,500, the ministry said.