The Israeli occupation army escalated its violations in the Gaza Strip on Friday, with engineering units carrying out extensive demolitions of residential buildings in the Al-Tahliya area, east of Khan Younis. These military actions occur within areas designated for the deployment of occupation forces under previous understandings, raising concerns about altering the region's geography.
In Gaza City, Israeli drones launched attacks targeting civilian homes near the Zeitoun Club, east of the Zeitoun neighborhood, by directly dropping explosive devices. Field sources confirmed that these attacks occurred in areas outside the agreed-upon deployment zone of the Israeli army, constituting a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement in effect since last October.
The attacks were not limited to land; they extended to the Palestinian coast, where Israeli gunboats opened fire with machine guns on fishing boats and beaches off the coast of Gaza City. Although no one was injured in this naval attack, it caused panic among residents trying to resume their daily lives.
On the human rights front, legal organizations within the occupied territories have sharply criticized the occupation authorities, demanding an immediate halt to the systematic policies of harassment against Palestinians. The Adalah Center and the Gisha Center affirmed in a joint statement that the restrictions imposed on the movement of travelers through the Rafah crossing lack any legal basis and are intended to further oppress the population.
The urgent letter addressed to the Israeli Minister of Defense and the Attorney General explained that what is happening on the Palestinian-Egyptian border is a process of forced displacement disguised as security measures. The two centers stressed the need to lift all the restrictive conditions preventing thousands of Palestinians stranded outside the Gaza Strip from returning to their homes and families normally.
The occupation authorities had reopened the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing at the beginning of February, after a closure that lasted for months since it was militarily seized in May 2014. However, reports described the opening as 'superficial and very limited', as it is subject to strict security control that prevents the vast majority of crossings.
Field data indicates that the occupation authorities impose complex and prior security approvals on anyone wishing to enter or leave, with a daily quota of no more than 50 people. This measure has prevented hundreds of wounded and sick individuals from traveling to receive necessary medical treatment, and has left thousands of Palestinians stranded in the diaspora with no prospect of return.
Human rights organizations have relayed shocking testimonies from returnees who managed to cross the border, reporting degrading treatment including being blindfolded and handcuffed for extended periods. The testimonies also included accounts of confiscation of personal belongings and money, part of a policy of collective punishment practiced by the forces stationed at the border crossing.
Reports have revealed cooperation between the Israeli army and armed groups within the Gaza Strip to facilitate the transfer of some returnees to special interrogation centers under military control. In these centers, Palestinians are subjected to harsh interrogations and security pressures, including threats of administrative detention or being barred from returning to Israel if they do not cooperate with the intelligence services.
The human rights organizations concluded their statement by warning against the continuation of these violations, which disregard international and humanitarian laws, stressing that international silence on these practices encourages the occupation to proceed with turning the crossings into tools for torture and political and security blackmail against defenseless civilians.
