GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Palestinian Center for Prisoners’ Advocacy (PCPA) has condemned the arrest by the Israeli occupation forces of Amal al-Rifi, 60, and her 33-year-old daughter, Yasmin al-Rifi, as they were returning to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing following a medical trip to Egypt.
PCPA called the detention of the mother and her daughter a “violation of their right to return safely to their home and family.”
PCPA affirmed the Israeli occupation army decided to extend the two women’s detention until December 3, 2026, and issued an order preventing them from meeting their lawyer.
“This raises serious concerns about the conditions of their detention and their physical and psychological safety, particularly as their arrest followed their return from a medical trip and they are being denied the legal contact needed to ascertain their situation,” PCPA said.
“The arrest of a 60-year-old woman and her daughter while returning from treatment reflects a grave level of disregard for basic human rights. It turns a journey for treatment and a return home into a source of fear and suffering, instead of a safe path for patients and citizens returning to their families,” PCPA added.
“What is the role of the European Union mission operating at the Rafah crossing? Are there any effective guarantees to protect travellers, patients and those returning to the Gaza Strip?” PCPA questioned.
PCPA called for immediately releasing Amal al-Rifi and her daughter Yasmin, allowing them to meet their lawyer, disclosing their place of detention and their conditions, and allowing their family to see them without delay.
