Seven Israelis stranded in Gaza as bureaucratic dispute blocks their return home

Seven Israelis are currently unable to return to Israel from the Gaza Strip despite being legally entitled to enter the country, due to an ongoing bureaucratic standoff between Israeli authorities. 

The situation was first reported on Monday by Haaretz.

The group consists of six women and one man ranging in age from four to 67. Six are Israeli citizens, while the seventh is a resident of East Jerusalem. 

All are registered in Israel’s population registry. They had traveled to Gaza several weeks before the outbreak of the war under Israel’s “divided families” procedure, which applies to couples where one spouse is Israeli and the other is a resident of Gaza.

Prior to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, the procedure allowed relatively routine travel via the Erez crossing. Exit and re-entry permits were typically approved within weeks and did not require complex security coordination. That process collapsed with the outbreak of war, as Gaza became an active combat zone under Israeli military control.

According to Gisha, an Israeli human rights organization that focuses on freedom of movement, the seven individuals submitted formal requests to return to Israel more than two months ago, following the ceasefire announced in October. Their applications have remained unresolved due to a dispute between Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority and COGAT, the Defense Ministry unit responsible for civilian coordination with the Palestinian territories.

Each authority has placed responsibility on the other. COGAT says it is awaiting action from the Population Authority, while the Population Authority insists that security coordination falls solely under COGAT’s mandate. Neither body has explained why joint identity verification and military coordination have not been initiated.

The individuals involved cite pressing personal reasons for their return. One woman requires medical treatment unavailable in Gaza, while others seek to resume work in Israel to support their families or to prepare for potential future emigration.

Osnat Cohen-Lifshitz, director of Gisha’s legal department, described the situation as a clear violation of basic rights. “Every citizen has the right to return to their country,” she said.

Before the war, at least 450 Israelis were officially classified as members of “divided families.” Between November 2023 and August 2025, 152 Israeli citizens were evacuated from Gaza through ad hoc operations, often involving lengthy and complex administrative procedures.