Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the arrest by Israeli occupation authorities of a Palestinian patient and her daughter as they returned to the Gaza Strip from Egypt through Rafah Crossing, which remains under Israeli control, and the subsequent extension of their detention by an Israeli court. This incident constitutes a grave violation against civilians in need of medical care and forms part of Israel’s ongoing pattern of violations and crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where more than three years of genocidal war have devastated essential civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. These attacks, coupled with restrictions on the entry of medical supplies, have severely undermined access to healthcare and further aggravated the population’s physical and psychological suffering.
According to information documented by Al Mezan, Israeli occupation authorities arrested Amal Ghazi Mohammad al-Rifi (60) and her daughter/companion, Yasmin Rifaat Mohammad al-Rifi (33), at Rafah Crossing on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, as they returned from Egypt, where Amal had travelled to receive medical treatment. The two women were taken to an undisclosed location. Al Mezan immediately followed up on the case and established that they were being held at Ashkelon Prison. On Wednesday morning, 21 October 2026, they appeared before the Beersheba Court, which ordered their detention extended until 3 December 2026. Their lawyer was denied permission to visit them.
Amal al-Rifi suffers from cancer affecting her chest and lungs. She travelled to Egypt in February 2025 to receive treatment.
The right to freedom of movement, particularly the ability of patients to travel to obtain essential and potentially life-saving medical treatment, has been severely undermined since the onset of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. Israeli occupation authorities have kept Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing closed since October 2023. In May 2024, during the ground invasion of Rafah Governorate, they seized control of Rafah Crossing and closed it, completely preventing Palestinians from travelling, including patients, students, and holders of residency permits. The crossing remained closed for more than a year and a half.
In February 2026, Israeli occupation authorities permitted a limited number of patients and wounded persons -estimated at only dozens- to resume travel, despite the enormous number of patients holding urgent and emergency medical referrals who require immediate travel to access treatment unavailable in Gaza. Such severe restrictions impede access to healthcare and expose patients to further deterioration in their health, in a context where the healthcare system has been systematically devastated.
The suffering of Palestinian patients has been compounded by the continued denial of entry to essential medical equipment and supplies and the destruction of major hospitals, including Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, and Kamal Adwan Hospital in the North Gaza Governorate. These facilities have consequently been unable to provide medical services. The detention of Palestinian doctors and nurses in Israeli prisons has further weakened the capacity of the healthcare system to respond to urgent medical needs.
Al Mezan condemns the arbitrary detention of Amal al-Rifi and her daughter and stresses that the arrest of a patient requiring medical care and her accompanying daughter, together with the denial of access to legal counsel, raises serious concerns regarding the protection of their fundamental rights. The incident must be assessed in the context of Israel’s wider violations against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including restrictions on freedom of movement, a right protected under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Any restrictions on this right must comply with the requirements of legality, necessity, and proportionality and must not be applied arbitrarily.
The Center warns that continued restrictions on Rafah Crossing will further aggravate the humanitarian and healthcare crisis in the Gaza Strip. Following its closure for approximately three weeks, the crossing’s reopening has failed to ensure safe and effective passage for people with urgent humanitarian needs and has instead exposed them to further violations and exploitation. Israeli occupation authorities must ensure that patients and wounded persons can travel promptly and safely to obtain medical treatment, and that civilians crossing the border are protected from arbitrary arrest and other unlawful interference with their rights.
Al Mezan calls on the international community to fulfil its legal obligations towards the civilian population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the population of the Gaza Strip, where Israel’s genocidal war continues despite the ceasefire agreement. States must take effective measures to prevent and halt genocide, ensure respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and pursue accountability for international crimes and other serious violations. They must also ensure the protection of civilians, secure access to essential medical care, and guarantee victims’ rights to an effective remedy, including reparation for the harm suffered.
