Entry, though difficult, pales in comparison to exit. After being deposited at the Hamas checkpoint near Hamsa Hamsa, go to the white caravan to your right. A man will take your passport and call ahead to tell the Israelis you're coming. Ignore this at your own peril.
Cross no-man's-land, enter the concrete tunnel (note the CCTV and speakers playing helicopter noises) and wait at the row of doors. There will usually be a porter with a flask of tea there. Once a handful of people have gathered, one of the doors will open (indicated by a green light on top of the door). Under no circumstances attempt to enter the open doorways on the far left or far right; these are for foot passengers entering Gaza.
You will then enter a hall with a table at the centre. Open your bags at the table. When they've ensured you have no prohibited items in your bags, go through the turnstile when the light flashes green. You will see toilet facilities to your right. Use them. Follow the arrows to Israel. You will then encounter another hall with eight doorways. Wait until one of the lights go green then enter that doorway. Leave your bags with the porter at a large security scanner. Keep your passport and ID on you. Enter a series of gates as the lights flash green. When you come to the body scanner, put your feet on the markers and place your hands on your head. If you've passed initial screening, you will be allowed out to a hall where it appears as if your bags will emerge on a conveyor belt ... they won't. Walk straight through to the departures hall. And await your bags there. If you haven't passed initial screening, you'll be directed through further scanning. There is a separate section that will reveal itself to you if the guards in the gallery above find the need for a strip search.
Exit from Gaza could take an hour or several hours. The soldier at the final exit gate will ask you such pressing questions as "Where have you been?" and "Who did you speak to?". Answer politely, otherwise you'll be really thankful you used the toilet early in your journey.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Gaza
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Gaza - updated May 2024
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Gaza Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
