Israeli control of the Al-Oja crossing means that hundreds of Palestinians remain stranded in Egypt, reports Serene Assir from North Sinai Saleh lost both his legs in a 2005 Israeli rocket attack. He subsequently received a grant to travel to Tehran, via Egypt, in order to receive medical treatment. Now he is lying on a mattress in the shade of a tent set up at an Arish youth camp. Both Saleh and his brother, who accompanied him on his journey, have no idea when, or if, they will return home. Saleh's brother says they have no political affiliations with Iran. "It was thanks to the grant that my brother had prosthetic limbs made and fitted, and underwent much-needed brain surgery," Saleh's brother told Al-Ahram Weekly, but that is the extent of any ties. "Now that there is no choice but to return via Al-Oja we are stuck in Egypt. It is not good for my brother's health to be living in such insecure conditions." At the time of writing, 4,500 Palestinians stranded in Egypt had returned home. The 9 June closure of the Rafah crossing had left 6,000 Palestinians stranded in Sinai: those that have returned did so after being driven by bus from Arish to Al-Oja, the Israeli- controlled crossing normally used only for goods. On the Israeli-controlled side of the crossing, they were subject to searches, driven to Erez and only then allowed to cross into Gaza. Returning with hundreds of others this week, Ahmed Al-Essawi, 28, was arrested by the Israelis on the other side of the border. There are unconfirmed reports of other detentions in the course of repatriation. "We know that Israel suspects me of activity," said Saleh. "If we go in now, I will be detained." Indeed, the Palestinian Authority Embassy in Cairo has told the brothers to stay put until a more secure means for their return is in place. Palestinians who feel threatened by the prospect of re-entry via Al-Oja are a diverse group. Some have a history of involvement in the Palestinian armed resistance -- with groups including Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Others do not, but suspect that they have been blacklisted by Israel. "What's certain is that we will require the Rafah terminal to be reopened," said Mohamed, a member of Islamic Jihad's security unit who came to Egypt for medical treatment. "The Al-Oja solution has worked well for the apolitical majority; but it will single us out." Mohamed Sbeih, Palestinian ambassador to the Arab League in Cairo, says efforts to repatriate the suspects will have to take a backseat until all other Palestinians have returned home. "There are ways to solve this problem, and it will be addressed," he told the Weekly. "However, we want to make sure that the other Palestinians get home first. Then, through negotiations, perhaps with the assistance of other international organisations, we will be able to solve this issue." Confusion on the Egyptian side of the border has also hampered the return of many. "There has been no organisation," said one woman speaking on condition of anonymity. "Every time the buses come there are fights to get on. It was only during the first two days that the registration procedure was followed." Palestinians who have so far failed to secure a place on the buses accuse Egyptian State Security officials of accepting bribes to help some passengers on and keep others off. "Those with money are paying their way, the rest of us get beaten with sticks every time we try and make it onto the bus. It's scandalous," said one person who asked for his identity to be withheld. With increasing numbers returning via Al-Oja in the last week those whose cases remain unresolved are growing evermore restless. Among them is Samar Al-Ghalban, whose father, Sheikh Abdel-Sater Al-Ghalban, provided up to 100 stranded Palestinians with shelter during their enforced stay in Egypt. "Because of political injustice my husband and I are unable to raise our nine-month-old child together," she said, adding that she found it extraordinary that in spite of all the Palestinians her family had assisted over recent weeks, her own case remains outstanding. Of Palestinian origin, her husband lives and works in Qatar, a country to which Samar has been refused entry. Because of her husband's status as a Palestinian refugee with Qatari residence, he is by default barred from entry into Gaza. "What this means is that we can only see each other here in Rafah, once a year, when he is on holiday from work," said Al-Ghalban. The fate of Al-Ghalban, and the fears of scores of alleged suspects still stranded in Sinai, expose the flaws -- the historically temporary nature -- of solutions presented to Palestinians under occupation. "The people are tired, which is the reason for their happiness to be returning via Al-Oja," said Al-Ghalban. "But that does not mean that the solution has done our fragmented nation any good on the long run."
