GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), For Palestinian patients who leave the Gaza Strip seeking medical treatment, suffering does not necessarily end when their treatment is completed. Their journey home has become increasingly fraught with the threat of arrest, detention, and abuse by Israeli occupation forces, adding another painful chapter to the ordeal of wounded and sick Palestinians who were forced to seek medical care outside Gaza.
Israeli forces continue to arrest Palestinians returning to Gaza through the route that passes through the Kerem Abu Salem crossing.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces arrested Mohammed Hassan Salim Labad, 36, as he returned from Egypt after completing medical treatment for an earlier injury.
According to Gaza’s Palestinian Crossings and Borders Authority, Labad’s arrest brought the number of Palestinians detained by Israeli forces while returning from Egypt to 11.
The repeated arrests have raised growing concerns about the safety of Palestinian patients and wounded civilians seeking to reunite with their families after receiving treatment abroad.
For many, what should be the final stage of recovery, a return to their homes and loved ones, has instead become another source of fear and uncertainty, with no effective guarantees protecting them from detention.
Returning patients face Israeli security screening and arrest
The return of Palestinians stranded in Egypt takes place through arrangements coordinated by the Palestinian Embassy, which submits lists of prospective returnees to the Israeli military for prior approval.
Only after receiving authorization are Palestinians permitted to begin their return journey through the Rafah crossing and onward through Kerem Abu Salem before entering Gaza.
Despite these arrangements, Israeli forces have continued arresting returnees, including Palestinians who originally left Gaza because of injuries or serious medical conditions.
The arrests have intensified fears among patients still awaiting permission to return, many of whom have already endured prolonged separation from their families, difficult medical journeys, and the uncertainty of displacement.
The prospect of detention upon returning home adds another obstacle to their efforts to rebuild their lives after treatment.
More than 21,000 patients and wounded Palestinians need treatment abroad
The arrests come amid a worsening healthcare crisis in Gaza, where thousands of patients and wounded Palestinians remain unable to access the specialized medical care they urgently need.
According to the latest figures from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 21,000 patients and wounded people require medical treatment outside the Strip.
Among them, 6,430 cases have been classified as medical priorities because of the urgency of their conditions.
However, only 3,056 patients and wounded Palestinians have been able to leave Gaza for treatment since February 2026.
The ministry also reported that 2,027 patients died while waiting for approval for medical evacuation.
These figures reflect the devastating consequences of Israeli restrictions, crossing closures, the deterioration of Gaza’s healthcare system, and severe shortages of medication and essential medical supplies.
For patients requiring urgent surgery, cancer treatment, specialized rehabilitation, or other forms of care unavailable in Gaza, delays in medical evacuation can have life-threatening consequences.
A journey for healing becomes another source of fear
Palestinian patients face obstacles at every stage of their medical journey.
Those still inside Gaza struggle to obtain permission to leave for treatment, while those who have completed treatment abroad face uncertainty and the possibility of arrest when attempting to return.
The detention of returning patients has deepened concerns that even medical evacuation and recovery do not guarantee Palestinians a safe passage home.
For families separated by illness, injury, and displacement, the possibility that a loved one could be arrested while returning from treatment adds another layer of suffering to an already devastating humanitarian crisis.
As thousands remain trapped in Gaza awaiting medical evacuation, the continued arrests of returnees underscore the urgent need for safe, unhindered medical travel and protection for Palestinian patients throughout their journeys.
For Gaza’s wounded and sick, the right to seek treatment must also include the ability to return home safely, without fear of arrest or detention.
