Global March to Gaza starts tomorrow – here are its aims and where to follow it

The Global March to Gaza, which gathers tomorrow in Cairo ready for its journey to arrive at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza by Sunday in an attempt to lift Israel’s illegal starvation blockade of the Palestinian people, held a press conference this morning to outline its plans and aims to journalists.

The march, which could see over ten thousand people gather at the Rafah crossing on Sunday, will begin as a vehicle convoy travelling around 350km in the first phase, with the protesters then marching the remaining 50km over three days to arrive for Sunday, where they will stay for several days. The Egyptian government has neither given nor withheld permission, but organisers say delegations have already begun to arrive in Cairo without incident and they expect no interference in a march that is entirely in line with the Egyptian government’s public statements and position on Gaza.

Saif Abukeshek, one of the organising committee, told journalists that the movement is not only for the people of Gaza but to save ourselves and what is left of our humanity, because “Gaza is the graveyard of international law” because of Israel’s crimes and the failure of governments to fulfil their obligations under international law to intervene to prevent them.

The movement, which hopes to peacefully free the thousands of tonnes of aid held by Israel for months at the Rafah crossing and is calling on Egypt to formally support the march, says that its core demands are:

• an immediate end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza
• an immediate end to its months-long starvation blockade
• immediate full and unhindered entry of aid into Gaza
• protection of Gaza’s bombed, battered and collapsing healthcare systems
• international sanctions on Israel, including a full arms embargo

Those marching include Hala Rharrit, former State Department’s spokeswoman for the Middle East and North Africa who resigned in April last year over the US government’s participation in and support for Israel’s genocide – and Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, a former South African MP and grandson of Nelson Mandela, who has slammed UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy as an “apologist for genocide”. Zwelivelile told the press conference that the millions around the world who oppose Israel’s genocide can and will pressure their governments to act against Israel’s genocide and apartheid, just as the anti-apartheid movement forced an end to South African apartheid.

More than four hundred organisations are formally supporting the march. Well-wishers can find out more at marchtogaza.net; regular updates and footage will be available via @globalmarchtogaza on Instagram and on TikTok.

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