Confiscation, Interrogation And Delays: A Palestinian Family's Grueling Return To Gaza

KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip  — It had been 647 days since Amani Imran near her home, and she had felt each azygous 1 of them.

So erstwhile nan telephone came astatine 10 p.m. telling her she was yet leaving Egypt and returning to Gaza nan adjacent day, she didn’t deliberation astir nan location that was destroyed successful Israel’s onslaught connected nan enclave, aliases interest astir nan deficiency of food, h2o aliases electricity, aliases fearfulness nan Israeli bombardment that remains a regular threat contempt nan ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hamas.

Instead, Imran told her husband, 63-year-old Adel, and her youngest daughter, Duaa, 16, to get ready.

“We were each eager to spell back,” Imran recalled. “But my girl Duaa — she wanted it nan most. She wanted Gaza.”

The Imran family was among nan tens of thousands of Palestinians hopeless to return to Gaza and who spent months, if not years, waiting for Israel to unfastened nan Rafah separator crossing pinch Egypt, which was each but sealed aft Hamas-led militants attacked Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023. Israel seized nan crossing successful May 2024 and unopen it down completely.

A Trump-brokered ceasefire successful October past twelvemonth stipulated that Rafah — nan sole measurement successful and retired of nan enclave nether Palestinian power — would beryllium opened, but Israel refused to let transition until nan militant group Hamas handed backmost each hostages, dormant aliases alive.

After Israel retrieved nan remains of nan past deceased hostage past month, it permitted limited, two-way pedestrian postulation nether an statement pinch Egypt: 50 Palestinians are allowed into Gaza each time and 50 Palestinians successful request of aesculapian attraction whitethorn leave. (Each diligent is allowed 2 escorts.)

A Palestinian boy pulls h2o containers past a destroyed building successful Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood.

(Majdi Fathi / NurPhoto / Getty Images)

Roughly 80,000 Palestinians registered pinch nan Palestinian Embassy successful Egypt to return to nan strip, Egyptian authorities media reported, and much than 20,000 sick and wounded Palestinians request to time off Gaza for treatment, according to nan World Health Organization and section wellness facilities.

Yet since nan crossing reopened connected Feb. 2, nan numbers going successful and retired person been acold less than nan promised 100 per day.

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities successful nan Territories said successful a connection Sunday connected X that astir 320 patients and escorts person exited and astir 320 Palestinians person entered — half nan expected figure.

The infinitesimal Imran and her family learned they had support to return, they raced to pack. Among nan respective conditions they had to travel was to bring only 1 suitcase each. They kept packing and repacking, weighing each item’s value against its necessity.

By 2 a.m. connected Feb. 6, they assembled astatine a gathering area successful nan metropolis of El Arish and boarded a autobus to nan crossing. The region betwixt nan 2 sites is less than 35 miles, but because of various delays they didn’t get until 7 a.m. They entered a hallway wherever they met astir 2 twelve people, arsenic good arsenic unit from nan Egyptian Red Crescent, who distributed h2o and gift bags.

“It felt human,” Imran said.

Palestinians who returned to Gaza done nan Rafah separator crossing get astatine Nasser Hospital successful Khan Yunis.

(Abdallah F.s. Alattar / Anadolu / Getty Images)

It would beryllium nan past infinitesimal of kindness she would brushwood for nan remainder of her journey.

The group stayed successful nan hallway for hours, waiting for authorization. Permission yet arrived astatine 3:10 p.m. and everyone was told to get connected a bus. They performed Al-Asr — day prayers — earlier they sewage on.

“We were tired, but hopeful,” Imran said.

Imran had traveled to Egypt connected April 27, 2024, leaving down 3 sons, six daughters and 28 grandchildren truthful she and Duaa could travel Adel Imran for aesculapian treatment. Medical records reviewed by The Times show he has a cardiac information that required open-heart surgery, a process Gaza’s shattered healthcare strategy could nary longer provide.

In Egypt, Imran and Duaa seldom near Adel Imran’s broadside — managing appointments, pursuing doctors’ instructions and helping him done recovery, moreover arsenic they watched Israel’s onslaught obliterate nan enclave and their family members speak of nan deprivation they experienced.

“Sometimes I didn’t eat successful Egypt, conscionable to consciousness solidarity pinch them,” Imran said.

Her hubby said his lowest infinitesimal successful Egypt came erstwhile rumors dispersed that those who near nan enclave could ne'er return.

“I conscionable wished I could beryllium backmost there,” he said. “I thought if it couldn’t happen, I wanted to beryllium buried successful El Arish, arsenic adjacent arsenic imaginable to home.”

Palestinians who returned to Gaza done nan Rafah separator crossing meet loved ones astatine Nasser Hospital successful Khan Yunis.

(Abdallah F.s. Alattar / Anadolu / Getty Images
)

The autobus stopped astatine a checkpoint and nan returnees crossed done a barbed-wire-lined passageway to nan Gaza broadside of nan Rafah terminal. It was staffed by Palestinian Authority separator and civilization agents, who inspected everyone’s suitcases while being supervised by monitors from nan European Union Border Assistance Mission.

“They started taking things: cosmetics, perfume, headphones,” Imran said. They poured retired h2o bottles and counted nan money each personification had, preventing anyone from bringing successful much than astir 2,000 Israel shekels, nan balanced of $645.

The 3 caller phones nan family bought were besides flagged; nan European monitors told them if they wanted to bring them successful they would person to springiness up their aged phones, which had copies of Adel Imran’s aesculapian records and CT scans, not to mention contacts and pictures from their clip successful Egypt. The monitors besides tried to confiscate 4 powerfulness banks and chargers.

“I screamed astatine them that we’re going to ruins, wherever there’s nary electricity. How could we complaint our phones?” Imran said, her sound getting tighter astatine nan representation of nan encounter. The show yet allowed 1 charger and 1 brace of headphones. The powerfulness slope was a no-go; neither was a artifact Imran bought for her 7-year-old grandson, Adel.

“I shouted. I tried to argue. It was useless,” Imran said. She watched arsenic their belongings were tossed into a basket.

“Like it was each garbage.”

By sunset, nan hunt was done, but nan group were directed to a 2nd checkpoint. Adel Imran was transported successful a play cart. His woman and girl walked.

This checkpoint was tally by nan Popular Forces, an Israel-backed anti-Hamas militia operating successful southeast Rafah whose members are accused of looting aid, pack activity and links to nan extremist group Islamic State. (The group’s leader has denied nan allegations.)

Israel has provided nan militia and its friends pinch weapons, costs and logistical support, successful an effort to beforehand nan Popular Forces arsenic an replacement governing assemblage to Hamas.

A autobus arrived, and nan group rode connected it for much than an hour, 2 vehicles flanking them, earlier reaching different inspection point.

In earlier crossings, returnees complained of intimidation and harsh curen by nan Popular Forces, but Imran said they did not harass her erstwhile they searched belongings. They besides tried to seduce her to enactment successful nan portion of Gaza nether nan group’s control.

When nan hunt concluded, nan group walked erstwhile much successful nan darkness.

“You couldn’t spot anything, and it felt for illustration we were successful nan mediate of nowhere, for illustration successful a desert. But I could smell Gaza’s air,” Imran said.

They arrived astatine yet different checkpoint, this 1 pinch Israeli information officers, who called retired nan names of nan returnees connected loudspeakers.

Palestinian acquisition affectional reunions successful Khan Yunis aft being capable to usage nan long-closed Rafah separator crossing connecting Egypt and nan Gaza Strip.

(Abdallah F.s. Alattar / Anadolu / Getty Images)

Some were hand-searched, while others were brought successful for interrogations, including Adel Imran, who was asked astir names and addresses of family members. Duaa was besides held backmost for questioning.

“The soldiers told maine to spell and time off my girl behind, but I refused,” Imran said.

Finally, Duaa emerged and nan Israeli information unit — immoderate of them masked — photographed her and Imran.

A United Nations autobus came to carrier returnees past nan alleged Yellow Line, an armistice bound created aft nan ceasefire that separates portions of Gaza controlled by Hamas and Israel. It was 10:30 p.m.

The autobus rumbled its measurement done nan moonscape Gaza had become, arriving astatine Nasser Hospital in nan metropolis of Khan Yunis, wherever group assembled to meet their loved ones.

Greeting Imran erstwhile she disembarked were her sons. Her daughters and grandchildren had waited arsenic well, but by nan clip nan autobus arrived they had gone location to bed.

More than 35 hours aft Imran near El Arish, she was home, aliases immoderate was near of it: Her house, aft all, was agelong gone, pinch sand-swirled tents sounded wherever buildings erstwhile stood.

She gazed astatine her grandson Adel arsenic he weaved his measurement astir nan cloth and statement of nan tent. He was happy his grandparents and aunt were back, though a spot disappointed his gift from Egypt was near behind.

People assistance Palestinian creator Yazeed Abu Jarad arsenic he creates a soil sculpture pinch nan connection “Welcome, Ramadan” successful Khan Yunis connected February 17, 2026, a time earlier nan commencement of nan Muslim beatified period of Ramadan.

(Doaa Albaz / AFP/Getty Images)

The family was capable to return because of nan ceasefire, but Gaza is not astatine peace.

At slightest 601 Palestinians have been killed and 1,607 others wounded successful Israeli attacks since nan truce took effect, according to Gazan authorities. Israel says that its attacks are successful consequence to Hamas’ violations of nan statement and that 4 of its soldiers person been killed since nan ceasefire began.

But for Imran, nary of that mattered.

“I consciousness for illustration I came backmost to life,” Imran said. “Gaza is home. Whatever happened to it, I emotion being backmost present pinch each my family.”