What was announced as a cautious reopening of the Rafah crossing has, in practice, delivered another layer of fear and obstruction for Palestinians attempting to return home. Travellers arriving from Egypt this week described a tightly choreographed process dominated by armed groups operating in proximity to Israeli security points, where only a small fraction of those scheduled were allowed through. The scene exposed how movement in and out of Gaza remains dictated by coercion rather than humanitarian need, even as the genocidal war continues to devastate daily life.

Witnesses said dozens of returnees were halted after disembarking, with armed men overseeing their transfer towards secondary checkpoints set back from the crossing itself. Those stopped reported repeated questioning unrelated to their travel, conducted in an atmosphere of intimidation. Of roughly fifty people expected to cross on the first day, only a handful were eventually permitted entry, leaving the majority stranded without explanation. The process underscored the persistence of arbitrary restrictions imposed on civilians already displaced by months of genocide.

Several women who did make it through later recounted degrading treatment, including prolonged detention, blindfolding and threats intended to extract information. Families were separated temporarily as names were called out publicly, each person escorted under guard for screening. For many, the journey back to Gaza was described not as a return but as an ordeal layered onto the losses already endured during the genocidal war.

The limited reopening allows a fixed number of crossings per day, prioritising some medical cases while excluding thousands still in urgent need of care or reunion with relatives. Registration procedures funnel personal details through multiple security filters, resulting in long delays and widespread rejection. Meanwhile, vast numbers of displaced Palestinians remain unable to return to neighbourhoods that have been emptied and levelled, particularly around Rafah, once a thriving city now scarred by destruction and depopulation under the ongoing genocide.