Cairo: Pro-Palestinian activists who embarked on a journey to Gaza with the intention of breaking Israel's blockade on the territory encountered significant obstacles on Friday in both Libya and Egypt.
According to Nam News Network. The organizers of the Global March to Gaza reported that forty participants had their passports confiscated at a checkpoint as they attempted to leave Cairo. These individuals are currently detained in the heat, unable to move, while an additional fifteen activists are being held at various hotels.
Further reports from the organizers included video evidence of Egyptian security forces breaking up spontaneous sit-ins. Florence Heskia, one of the detained protesters, described distressing incidents of women being mistreated and forcibly placed onto buses. Another activist, Nadia, shared that their passports were seized, and they were being coerced into buses destined for the airport, where they would face deportation.
The Global March to Gaza initially planned for approximately 4,000 participants from over 40 countries to convene in Cairo on Friday. The group intended to travel by bus to El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula and then proceed on foot towards the Gaza border. They planned to camp there before returning to Cairo on June 19.
Simultaneously, the Soumoud convoy, named for steadfastness in Arabic, originating from Tunisia, faced its own challenges on Friday morning at the entrance to Sirte, a Libyan city under the control of military leader Khalifa Haftar. Tunisian organizer Wael Naouar, in a Facebook video, explained that the convoy, consisting of around a thousand activists from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania, requires authorization from Egyptian authorities to proceed to Gaza. Naouar expressed uncertainty about their ability to continue, as conflicting messages from security officials created confusion about their passage.
In a separate incident, an individual was arrested in central Cairo on Friday when activists attempted to gather amidst a heavy security presence. The day before, the Global March to Gaza organizers had announced that Egyptian authorities had detained over 200 activists in Cairo, with some being deported and others released. Hichem Al Ghaoui, a coordinator of the Global March, expressed surprise at the level of violence encountered, including arrests, deportations, and threats.
On Wednesday, Egypt's foreign ministry stated its support for efforts to pressure Israel. However, it emphasized that any delegations visiting the border area must obtain approval through official channels.