The Palestinian Center for Prisoners Advocacy said Israeli forces arrested Mohammed Jihad al-Shorbaji, 24, a resident of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, while he was returning from Egypt through the Rafah land crossing.
The Center said al-Shorbaji’s arrest while returning to the Gaza Strip raises serious concerns about the safety of civilians using the crossing and risks turning the journey home into a trap that can end in detention instead of a safe return to family and home.
It added that Palestinians’ right to return to the Gaza Strip and to travel and move through border crossings should not be tied to the risk of arrest or detention. Ensuring a safe passage for travelers must be a clear and guaranteed responsibility, particularly given the humanitarian conditions facing Gaza’s population.
The Center also questioned the role of the European Union mission present at the Rafah crossing and the extent of its ability to protect civilians and follow up on arrests that occur during transit. It stressed that the presence of an international mission at the crossing should be accompanied by a clear role in ensuring travelers’ safety and protecting them from arrest or restrictions while traveling or returning.
The Center called for the immediate disclosure of al-Shorbaji’s place of detention and his health and legal status, access to a lawyer, and his immediate release. It warned that continued arrests of people returning through the crossing could create widespread fear among thousands of Palestinians currently outside the Gaza Strip who wish to return to their families.
It also called on the European Union and international and human rights organizations to follow up on the incident, ensure that the Rafah crossing does not become a point for arresting or restricting Palestinians, and protect the right of Gaza residents to return, travel and move safely.
