Egypt Detains, Deports Dozens of Activists ahead of Global March to Gaza 

June 12, 2025 News
Egyptian authorities have detained and deported dozens of activists who arrived in the country to participate in the Global March to Gaza. (Photo: via Global March to Gaza X Page)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Despite the crackdown, organizers have vowed to go ahead with the planned march to the Rafah border with the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian authorities have detained and deported dozens of activists who arrived in the country to participate in the Global March to Gaza, intended to break Israel’s blockade on the besieged enclave, according to reports.

Despite the clampdown, organizers say the march, scheduled to begin on Friday, “continues.”

“We want to clarify that the Global March continues despite about 170 people facing delays and deportations at Cairo airport,” they said in a press statement on Thursday.

“Our legal services are working on these cases, as we have all complied with all the legal requirements of the Egyptian authorities,” the statement added.

‘Demanding End’ to Genocide

The organizers noted that “thousands of march participants are already in Egypt, ready to begin the journey to El Arish tomorrow and then continue on foot to Rafah, where we hope to arrive this Sunday.”

They said they “hope to be able to work alongside the Egyptian Government as a key and valued partner,” adding, “Our priorities are the same: demanding the end of the Palestinian genocide.”

Deported Despite Paperwork

Saif Abukeshek, a spokesperson for the movement, told AFP that “Over 200 participants were detained at Cairo airport or questioned at hotels across Cairo.” They included nationals from the United States, France, the Netherlands and Algeria.

Activists shared their frustration on social media, with some sharing footage from the airport or hotels.

‘Forced’ Onto Plane

A member of a Dutch delegation shared a video of a large group of activists being “forced into the plane.”

“You can see he has our passports,” the activist is heard saying, followed by chants of “Shame on you.”

A Moroccan activist who arrived in Cairo said in a video shared by the Middle East Eye that Egyptian authorities detained activists for hours before deporting them.

“After our arrival with a valid ticket and visa, and everything seemingly in order, they detained us for over three hours,” he said.

Some were allowed into the country, but “12 were sent back,” he stated, adding that the conditions of detention were “psychologically distressing.”

Another video showed scores of Algerians who were deported, with some chanting “What a shame! They sold Gaza for dollars,” according to the Quds News Network.

AFP also reported that a Greek delegation said in a statement that dozens of Greek nationals were held at the airport “despite having all legal travel documents, having broken no law and followed every legal procedure in entering the country.”

Egypt’s Conditions

Egypt said on Wednesday that all foreign delegations seeking to visit the border area near Gaza, including the city of Arish and the Rafah crossing, must obtain “prior approval” through official channels.

“The only way for Egyptian authorities to continue considering these requests is by following the regulatory controls and mechanisms in place since the beginning of the war on Gaza, which is to submit an official request to Egyptian embassies abroad or through requests submitted by foreign embassies in Cairo, or representatives of organizations, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry statement said.

The ministry stressed that “no visit requests outside the established framework would be considered.”

Israel’s ‘Expectation’

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz urged Israel on Wednesday to block the march as well as the Sumoud (Resistance) convoy, which left Tunisia earlier this week.

“I expect the Egyptian authorities to prevent the arrival of jihadist protesters at the Egypt-Israel border and not to allow them to carry out provocations or attempt to enter Gaza,” Katz reportedly said in a statement.

‘Sumoud’ Aid Convoy Heads to Egypt Seeking to Break the Siege on Gaza 

Meanwhile, an overland aid convoy of buses and cars makes its way to Egypt as well, intended to break the siege on Gaza.

Consisting of 12 buses and 100 private cars, the Sumoud (resilience in Arabic) convoy of more than 1,000 participants, led by Tunisian civil society as well as participants from Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, and Libya, set off from the Tunisian capital on Monday.

Track the Sumud convoy here.

Ongoing Genocide

Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.

On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 55,000, wounding more than 127,000, with over 14,000 still missing.

Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.

ICJ Case

Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.

Total Communications Blackout in Gaza as Israel Targets Infrastructure

 

The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.

(PC, Anadolu, Agencies)

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