Global march to Gaza continues despite detention of some participants at Cairo airport

El-Sisi government’s action is not stopping humanitarian march

The Global March to Gaza has issued an urgent update to supporters confirming that its march to the Rafah crossing with Gaza, scheduled to begin today, is still continuing despite the Egyptian government’s decision to detain, and threaten with deportation, around 170 people of the expected 10,000 or more arriving in Cairo to gather before heading to Rafah.

The march, which aims to raise global awareness of Israel’s illegal starvation blockade of Gaza and to release the tens of thousands of tonnes of food, medicines and other essentials that Israel is holding at the crossing, will depart from Cairo by convoy, travelling some 350km before the march will cover the remaining 50km over the next three days before gathering at the crossing for several days from Sunday.

A statement from the group explains:

Urgent statement from the organization:
As we stated in our last press release, we want to clarify that the Global March continues despite about 170 people facing delays and deportations at Cairo airport.

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

Meanwhile, 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.

We hope to be able to work alongside the Egyptian Government as a key and valued partner. Our priorities are the same: demanding the end of the Palestinian genocide.

Israel has tried to pressure Egypt into banning the march altogether, but so far seems to have failed. Around two million Palestinian civilians in Gaza are being starved by Israel’s blockade, while those who travel to the handful of mercenary-run ‘aid stations’ set up by Israel are shot at daily, with dozens killed each time. The impact of the Freedom Flotilla ship Madleen’s attempt to reach Gaza and the scale and energy of the ‘Sumud convoy’ bringing marchers to Cairo en masse was summed up by Nahed Hajjaj, one of Gaza’s few surviving journalists after Israel targeted and murdered almost 300 during the genocide so far:

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