Two Gazan women who passed through the newly reopened Rafah crossing with Egypt on Monday have told the BBC that a local Palestinian militia linked to Israel carried out checks at an Israeli military checkpoint inside the Gaza Strip. Lamia Rabia, who was travelling with her children, said they were escorted by Israeli forces from the border to a nearby checkpoint where members of the Abu Shabab militia, also known as the Popular Forces, searched them and their belongings.
There was a woman from the Abu Shabab group who conducted the searches on the women, she told the BBC. They didn't speak with us, they only searched us and then we went to the Israelis, who questioned us. The Abu Shabab militia, an anti-Hamas group supported by Israel, undertook security measures during the reintegration process, raising concerns about coordination between the two entities.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) did not comment on the matter, and local whispers of excessive force and mistreatment surfaced among returnees. One woman described being beaten and mistreated during the search, alleging handcuffs and verbal abuse, while another reported a more benign experience. The confusion surrounding the opening process is compounded by stringent security checks resulting in only 12 of approximately 50 expected returnees making it back to Gaza.
Reports indicate a bottleneck of around 20,000 Palestinians currently needing medical care abroad, and the number of evacuations has dropped drastically amid increasing pressure from Hamas to assert control in the area. The situation unfolds further as officials announce new travel mechanisms and procedures that complicate the appending peace talks planned under US proposals.
Leaders stress the urgent need for assistance while questions loom over the legitimacy of militia conduct and the eventual purpose of Israel's involvement in the crossing's reopening.
There was a woman from the Abu Shabab group who conducted the searches on the women, she told the BBC. They didn't speak with us, they only searched us and then we went to the Israelis, who questioned us. The Abu Shabab militia, an anti-Hamas group supported by Israel, undertook security measures during the reintegration process, raising concerns about coordination between the two entities.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) did not comment on the matter, and local whispers of excessive force and mistreatment surfaced among returnees. One woman described being beaten and mistreated during the search, alleging handcuffs and verbal abuse, while another reported a more benign experience. The confusion surrounding the opening process is compounded by stringent security checks resulting in only 12 of approximately 50 expected returnees making it back to Gaza.
Reports indicate a bottleneck of around 20,000 Palestinians currently needing medical care abroad, and the number of evacuations has dropped drastically amid increasing pressure from Hamas to assert control in the area. The situation unfolds further as officials announce new travel mechanisms and procedures that complicate the appending peace talks planned under US proposals.
Leaders stress the urgent need for assistance while questions loom over the legitimacy of militia conduct and the eventual purpose of Israel's involvement in the crossing's reopening.
