For several weeks in February, the reopening of the Rafah Crossing raised fragile hopes among Palestinians stranded in Egypt who longed to return to their families in the Gaza Strip. The crossing, the enclave’s only gateway to Egypt, allowed limited numbers of travellers to pass each day. Yet many who finally began the journey home encountered an unexpected barrier inside Gaza itself: armed Palestinian groups operating in areas controlled by Israeli forces. The crossing was shut again on 28 February, abruptly halting the brief window of return during an ongoing genocidal war that has devastated the territory.

Among the groups present near Rafah is a militia known as the “Popular Forces”, whose fighters say they are tasked with monitoring the movement of civilians entering Gaza. Travellers describe being escorted by armed vehicles before being ordered off buses for searches and questioning by men identifying themselves as followers of the late militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab. The group has since been led by his associate Ghassan al-Duhaini, who frequently publishes videos online portraying his fighters tracking down Hamas members and policing the area surrounding Rafah. On social media, the militia presents itself as a security force helping travellers and distributing food to returning civilians, while also posting footage of passport checks and vehicle inspections.

However, accounts from those who made the journey suggest a far more troubling reality. One mother who travelled back to Gaza during the brief reopening said she was searched by the militia before being handed over to Israeli soldiers at a nearby military checkpoint. There, she described being blindfolded, interrogated and threatened during several hours of questioning about her reasons for returning. Her experience reflects the tense environment surrounding the newly constructed checkpoint known as Regavim, located several kilometres inside Gaza along the main Salah al-Din road.

Evidence circulating online indicates that the militia operates in close proximity to Israeli military positions. Videos shared by the group appear to have been filmed inside the same checkpoint complex built by Israeli forces before the crossing reopened. Vehicles used by the fighters have also been identified as registered in Israel, while concrete barriers visible at their base match those produced by Israeli suppliers for the military. These details have fuelled growing claims that the group receives direct support from Israel, raising serious questions about the role of armed militias in controlling civilian movement during the continuing genocidal war.

The presence of such groups has further deepened uncertainty for Palestinians hoping to return to Gaza. Under the October ceasefire framework negotiated under the administration of Donald Trump, the territory was meant to move towards demilitarisation and the eventual deployment of international security arrangements. Instead, analysts warn that the emergence of militias policing checkpoints risks entrenching a lawless system in which civilians face overlapping authorities, intimidation and arbitrary detention as they attempt to reunite with their families.