Egyptian authorities have detained more than 200 international activists in Cairo ahead of a planned solidarity march to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, organizers of the Global March to Gaza said Thursday.
The mass action, expected to take place Friday, aimed to pressure Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave through Rafah. Organizers said participants were met with widespread detentions, interrogations, and deportations upon arrival in Egypt.
“Over 200 participants were either arrested or questioned at Cairo Airport or in their hotels,” said march spokesperson Saif Abukeshek, noting that those detained included nationals from the United States, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Spain, Morocco, and Algeria.
Plainclothes officers reportedly entered hotels in Cairo on Wednesday with name lists, searched personal belongings, and in some cases confiscated phones. Some detainees were released after questioning, while others were held for hours or deported, Abukeshek said.
Footage shared with AFP showed dozens of activists crowded inside a holding room at Cairo Airport. “We’re locked in here—some 30 to 40 of us,” one German national said in a video message.
A group of 20 French nationals was held for 18 hours at the airport, according to Abukeshek. The Greek contingent also issued a statement confirming that dozens of its citizens had been detained, despite holding valid travel documents and complying with all entry procedures.
Egyptian authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The crackdown comes as Israel faces rising global criticism over Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe, with the United Nations calling the enclave “the hungriest place on Earth” after 21 months of war.
The Global March to Gaza, working in coordination with the North Africa-based Soumoud convoy, says around 4,000 participants from over 40 countries planned to take part. The itinerary includes travel by bus to El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula, followed by a 50-kilometre march toward Rafah. The group plans to camp near the border before returning to Cairo on June 19.
In a statement this week, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant urged Egypt to block what he called “jihadist protesters” from reaching the Egypt-Israel border, warning that their presence could endanger Israeli troops.
Egypt’s foreign ministry responded by stating that while it supports pressure on Israel to ease the blockade, foreign delegations must secure proper permits to access border areas.
Despite the detentions, Abukeshek said the march would go ahead: “We will continue despite what happened. The numbers already present in Egypt and those still arriving are enough to carry out the march as planned.”
