Hundreds of Gaza residents who have remained in Israel and Yehuda and Shomron since the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre are voluntarily turning themselves in to the IDF and requesting to be returned to the Gaza Strip, according to a report by Army Radio.

More than 200 Gazans have surrendered to Israeli security forces in recent weeks alone. The individuals had legally entered Israel before the war using official permits for work or medical treatment and remained in Israel and Yehuda and Shomron after the fighting began. This week, a group of 46 Gazans arrived together at a security crossing in Shomron and asked soldiers to detain them. They were subsequently transferred back into Gaza in coordination with security authorities.

Israeli defense officials believe the growing trend is largely driven by the collapse of financial and social support they had been receiving from Palestinians in Yehuda and Shomron. During the war, many found temporary jobs and assistance, but officials say that support has now largely disappeared, leaving many without a source of income and prompting them to return to Gaza despite the ongoing conflict.

Defense officials estimate that the more than 200 who have voluntarily surrendered represent only a fraction of the total number of Gazans who remain in Israel and Yehuda and Shomron. Current estimates range from several hundred to several thousand, though the exact figure is unknown. While Israel initially conducted organized operations to locate and deport Gazan workers after the war began, those efforts largely ended some time ago, with authorities now primarily handling those who voluntarily surrender.

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