Cleared for publication: For the third time in a year, an Israeli with mental health issues living in southern Israel has climbed the security fence on the Gaza border and entered the region.
A Bedouin man climbed the security fence on the Gaza border and walked into the Hamas-ruled territory early this week. His fate after that is unknown. He is identified as 19-year-old Jouma Abu Renmeh, according to Israel Radio, a resident of a Bedouin village in southern Israel.
The man’s family told media that he has mental health problems. Few other details were made available.
Last year, a young man from the Bedouin town of Hura crossed into Gaza near hothouses in a field belonging to the Gaza Belt community of Kibbutz Erez, Ynet reported.
As with Renmeh, the young man’s family said he has mental health issues and in the past has had a history of crossing the border into other countries as well.
Israel has made numerous attempts to secure his return as “basic humanity” and appealing for assistance from others in the effort as well — but with no response.
An Ethiopian-born immigrant to Israel, 28-year-old Avraham Mengistu of Ashkelon, also walked into Gaza in September 2015. The Israeli is also known to have mental health issues; he and his Bedouin predecessor have been held captive in Gaza by Hamas since their arrival.