Overview
- In the pilot’s first days, only 12 people crossed in each direction on Monday and 40 on Tuesday, far below stated caps.
- Accounts of allowable quotas diverged, with an Israeli official citing 150 daily exits while Egyptian state media and other negotiators described 50 returnees and 50 patients plus companions.
- UN figures show just 36 patients and 62 companions evacuated over the first four days, with the crossing closed on Friday and Saturday as procedures were adjusted.
- Travelers reported hours-long interrogations, handcuffing and confiscations during multi‑layered screenings; the UN rights office flagged a pattern of mistreatment and the Israeli military denied any wrongdoing.
- Returnees face strict limits on baggage and cash under 2005 Rafah agreements, and operations involve Egyptian forces, EUBAM with Palestinian officials, and Israeli checks inside Gaza, leaving roughly 20,000 awaiting medical travel and reports of about 1,000 deaths while waiting.