Daijiworld Media Network - Gaza

Gaza, Feb 11: Forty-one Palestinians arrived in Gaza via the Rafah crossing on Tuesday evening, becoming the seventh batch of returnees since the partial reopening of the key transit point earlier this month. They were transported in World Health Organization buses to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, Al Jazeera reported.

Returnees described humiliating searches and interrogations by the Israeli military, which controls the Palestinian side of the crossing. The Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main link to Egypt, had been closed for most of the war and partially reopened on February 2 as part of a US-brokered ceasefire.

Since reopening, 172 Palestinians have returned, while only 250, mostly patients needing medical treatment abroad and their companions, have left – far below the promised daily quota of 50 patients. Gaza’s healthcare system remains in crisis, with 22 hospitals non-functional and 1,700 medical workers killed, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli attacks continue. On Wednesday, airstrikes and shelling targeted areas east of Khan Younis, following Tuesday strikes that killed at least seven Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Israel approved the deportation of two Palestinians convicted of crimes to Gaza, invoking a 2023 law allowing citizenship revocation for “terrorism” cases. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the move, identifying the men as Mahmoud Ahmad and Mohammed Ahmad Hussein al-Halsi, to be sent to Gaza after completing their sentences.

Rights group Adalah condemned the deportation, calling it a violation of fundamental citizenship protections and international law. Revocation of Jerusalem IDs would leave the men without access to hospitals, schools, or official documentation.

The developments highlight the ongoing humanitarian and legal challenges faced by Palestinians in Gaza, even as the Rafah crossing allows limited returns.