Palestinian women have recounted harrowing experiences at the hands of Israeli forces at the reopened Gaza Sarafa crossing.

Palestinian women describe ‘horrifying journey’ they endured Rafah border crossing On their way back to Gaza from Egypt, the few allowed into the war-torn territory were separated from their children, handcuffed, blindfolded and interrogated for hours under “threats”.

for 12 Palestinian women and children Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Khalili reported from Khan Younis in southern Gaza that after being allowed to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Monday, the journey home was “long and exhausting, filled with waiting, fear and uncertainty.”

The Israeli army imposed tough security procedures on a small group of returnees, Power to control the Rafah crossing Khalili said it will determine “when and if” people will be allowed to return to their homes in the Palestinian territories.

“They took everything from us. Food, drink, everything. We were only allowed to keep one luggage,” one returnee told Al Jazeera in an interview, describing her ordeal at the hands of the Israeli military on Monday.

“The Israeli army first called my mother and took her away. Then they called me and took me away,” the woman said.

“They blindfolded me and covered my eyes. They interrogated me in the first tent and asked me why I entered Gaza. I told them I wanted to see my children and return to my country. They tried to pressure me psychologically, to separate me from my children and force me into exile,” she said.

“After interrogating me there, they took me to a second tent and asked some political questions that had nothing to do with (the journey)… They told me that if I didn’t answer, I might be detained. After three hours of threatening interrogation, we finally got into the car. The United Nations received us; then we headed to Al-Nasser Hospital. Thank God we were reunited with our loved ones,” she added.

Another member of the group, Huda Abu Abed, 56, told Reuters that crossing the border with Rafah “is a journey full of terror, humiliation and oppression.”

According to Reuters, three women told reporters about being blindfolded, handcuffed and interrogated for several hours by Israeli forces.

About 50 Palestinians were expected to enter the enclave on Monday, but by early evening only 12 people – three women and nine children – had been allowed through the crossing reopened by Israeli authorities, Reuters reported, citing Palestinian and Egyptian sources.

To make matters worse, of the 50 people waiting to leave Gaza on Monday, mainly for intensive care, only five patients and seven relatives escorted them successfully through Israeli inspections and into Egypt.

Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary reports that only 16 Palestinian patients were allowed to enter Egypt via Rafah on Tuesday.

Hudari said the number of Palestinians allowed through the Rafah crossing was far lower than the 50 Palestinians that Israeli officials said were allowed to pass through the Rafah crossing in both directions each day.

“There was no explanation why the Rafah crossing was delayed,” Kudari said. “This process takes a very long time.”

“About 20,000 people are waiting in (Gaza) for emergency medical help from abroad,” she added.