First since reopening, Israel arrests Gazan returning via Rafah crossing

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian man Sunday as he returned to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, marking the first detention since the crossing reopened, a Palestinian security source said.

The source told Anadolu that the man had been returning to Gaza after a three-year absence when Israeli forces detained him.

Israel reopened the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on Feb. 2 on a very limited basis after occupying it in May 2024, with strict restrictions in place.

After closing the crossing for about 20 days following the onset of the US-Israeli war against Iran on Feb. 28, Israeli authorities reopened it again on March 19 under the same restrictive conditions.

The source warned that Israel could turn the crossing into a point for arresting Palestinians traveling to and from Gaza under the tight controls, adding that this was the first arrest recorded since the reopening.

According to Gaza’s Border Crossings Authority, 25 Palestinians, including eight patients and 17 companions, left Gaza on Sunday, while 28 travelers entered the territory.

Returnees reported harsh treatment during the process, including lengthy interrogations and temporary detention before being allowed to proceed into Gaza.

Palestinian estimates indicate that about 22,000 wounded and sick people in Gaza need to leave the territory for treatment amid the collapse of the health system.

Before the Israeli genocide, hundreds of Palestinians crossed daily between Gaza and Egypt through Rafah under arrangements managed by Gaza’s Interior Ministry and Egyptian authorities, without Israeli involvement.

Israel was expected to reopen the crossing during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, but did not follow through.

Israel launched a war on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians, wounding around 172,000 others, and devastating about 90% of civilian infrastructure.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul