Egypt detains 200+ activists ahead of Gaza aid march: Organizers
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Plainclothes officers reportedly entered hotels with lists of names, interrogated activists, and in some cases, confiscated phones and searched belongings.
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Members of a humanitarian convoy wave Palestinian flags from a bus as the group travels toward Gaza via Egypt's Rafah Crossing in Zawiya, Libya on June 10, 2025 (AP)
Egyptian authorities have detained over 200 pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo ahead of the planned Global March to Gaza, aimed at protesting "Israel’s" blockade and demanding greater humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip.
According to march spokesperson Saif Abukeshek, participants from countries including the US, France, Spain, Australia, Morocco, Algeria, and the Netherlands were detained or questioned, mainly at Cairo airport and hotels across the city.
Plainclothes officers reportedly entered hotels with lists of names, interrogated activists, and in some cases, confiscated phones and searched belongings. Some were released after questioning, while others were arrested or deported.
At Cairo airport, some activists were held for hours without explanation, including more than 20 French nationals, who were detained for 18 hours.
Abukeshek described the crackdown as “completely unexpected”, just a day before the planned march to the Rafah border crossing.
Footage shared with AFP shows crowded scenes at Cairo airport, where dozens of detained activists were confined in holding rooms with their luggage. A German national reported being held with around 30–40 others and said her embassy was working to resolve the situation.
Another video showed more than 30 people aboard a deportation flight from Cairo chanting in French in support of Gaza. A French traveler, briefly detained and later released, described being held with about 15 people and witnessing up to 60 others being stopped, including families and elderly individuals.
The Greek delegation confirmed in a statement that dozens of their nationals were also detained at Cairo airport, though they were released after approximately 10 hours in custody.
According to the Global March to Gaza, numerous persons were released after diplomatic representatives arrived at Cairo airport to give "consular assistance to the detained participants."
'The hungriest place on earth'
After 21 months of aggression, "Israel" is under increasing international pressure to allow more supplies into Gaza, branded "the hungriest place on Earth" by the United Nations.
Another convoy, named Soumoud, or steadfastness in Arabic, departed Tunis on Monday, trying to reach Gaza via split Libya and Egypt, which organizers claim has yet to obtain entry permissions.
On Wednesday, the Soumoud convoy landed in the Libyan capital. It is unclear if the convoy would be permitted to enter eastern Libya, which is held by opposing forces loyal to military commander Khalifa Haftar.
The Global March to Gaza, organized in coordination with Soumoud, announced that around 4,000 participants from over 40 countries are expected to join the event, with many already in Egypt ahead of the planned Friday march.
The march route includes traveling by bus to al-Arish in Egypt’s heavily secured Sinai Peninsula, followed by a 50-kilometre walk toward the Gaza border. Participants plan to camp near the border before returning to Cairo on June 19.
'Israel' orders its army to block Soumoud Convoy from reaching Gaza
Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz has directed the Israeli army to stop a convoy of pro-Palestinian activists attempting to enter the blockaded Gaza Strip, painting them as "foreign jihadists," anticipating that Egyptian authorities will block them from approaching the Egyptian-occupied Palestinian border, and prevent any attempts to enter Gaza.
He further claimed that the demonstrators endanger the Egyptian regime and threaten all moderate Arab regimes in the region.
The Israeli minister also claimed that the group holds "antisemitic" views aligned with Hamas and seeks to spread radical Islamic ideology throughout the region, allegedly backed by what he referred to as the "Iranian axis of evil."
The convoy set out on its trip shortly after the Madleen ship, which was sailing to Gaza to deliver essential humanitarian aid to the Strip, was intercepted by Israeli occupation forces and its crew detained.
