More than 200 Gaza residents who remained in Israel and Judea and Samaria since the outbreak of the war have surrendered to Israeli security forces in recent days in an effort to return to the Gaza Strip, according to a report by Galei Tzahal.
The report said the individuals had entered Israel before the October 7th massacre with work permits or for medical treatment and remained outside Gaza after the war began. This week alone, a group of 46 Gazans surrendered at a crossing in Samaria before being transferred back to the Gaza Strip.
Defense officials believe the growing number of voluntary surrenders is linked to the loss of financial and logistical support previously provided by Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. During much of the war, many Gazans who remained outside the Strip were able to find housing, employment, and economic assistance, but officials say that support has largely ended in recent weeks.
According to defense estimates, anywhere from several hundred to several thousand Gazans who entered Israel before the war are still believed to be in Israel or Judea and Samaria. Officials noted that while efforts were made early in the war to locate and return them to Gaza, those operations were later suspended.