Egyptian authorities have detained and deported dozens of pro-Palestinian activists planning to participate in a solidarity march aimed at breaking Israel’s blockade on Gaza.
The Global March to Gaza, scheduled to begin Friday, June 13, 2025, has drawn thousands of activists from at least 52 countries intending to trek to Egypt’s Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian territory to demand the entry of humanitarian aid.
Egyptian officials have intensified efforts to prevent international visitors from joining the march, detaining activists at Cairo International Airport and hotels in the capital for questioning.
On Thursday, more than 73 foreign nationals, primarily holding European passports, were deported on a flight to Istanbul, with approximately 100 others awaiting deportation at the airport.
An Egyptian official, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization to brief the media, said the deported activists planned to travel to Northern Sinai without required authorizations.
Saif Abukeshek, spokesperson for the Global March to Gaza, told Agence France-Presse that over 200 activists had been detained at Cairo airport or questioned at hotels in the city.
Among those targeted were nationals from the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, and Libya.
Maktoob, reporting from the ground, confirmed that hundreds of delegates faced deportation as Egyptian authorities cracked down on protesters in Old Cairo Downtown.
Plainclothes officers reportedly visited Cairo hotels on Wednesday with lists of names, questioning activists, searching their belongings, and confiscating phones in some cases.
“After interrogations, some were arrested, and others were released,” Abukeshek said.
A group of Greek activists issued a statement saying dozens from their contingent were detained at Cairo airport “despite having all legal travel documents, having broken no law, and following every legal procedure in entering the country.”
One Greek national told Maktoob that a delegation of 200 was stopped at the airport, with 30 members held for nearly 10 hours before being allowed entry.
“Others were not lucky,” he added.
A French protester, who was deported, vowed to try again.
“I will try again because this is about Palestine. We need to end the siege,” she said.
Another group of detained delegates issued a statement describing being held in a room for hours before deportation.
“We were kept in a room for hours and then sent back,” they said.
The Global March to Gaza, set to run from June 13 to June 20, aims to “create international moral and media pressure” to open the Rafah border crossing and lift the aid blockade on Gaza, which the United Nations has called “the hungriest place on Earth.”
Israeli occupation forces imposed a total blockade in March as part of its genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians.
Limited aid was allowed last month, but distribution has been hampered by deadly Israeli violence against aid seekers, with experts noting the volumes fall far short of needs.
Activists plan to travel by bus to El Arish in the Sinai Peninsula, then walk approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) to the Rafah border, joining a convoy that departed Tunisia on Monday.
“We have come with a purpose. Everyone has risked everything to come out and break the siege in Gaza. This is for Palestine, for those who have been steadfast in this ongoing genocide,” one protester told Maktoob.
The march’s organizers said they followed Egyptian government guidelines and intend to proceed as planned.
“We look forward to providing any additional information the Egyptian authorities require to ensure the march continues peacefully as planned to the Rafah border,” they said in a statement.
Abukeshek confirmed to AFP that the group remains committed to Friday’s march.
Cairo has seen increased police deployment, though locals described it as standard protocol.
Egypt has denounced restrictions on aid entering Gaza, stating that its side of the Rafah crossing remains open, while the Palestinian side has been blocked by Israel since the war began.
Cairo warned that only those with authorization will be allowed to travel the march route.
“Egypt holds the right to take all necessary measures to preserve its national security, including the regulation of the entry and movement of individuals within its territory, especially in sensitive border areas,” the Egyptian foreign ministry said Wednesday.
Israel, wary of strained diplomatic ties with Egypt, has urged Cairo to prevent the march from reaching the border.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz labeled the activists “jihadist protesters” on Wednesday, claiming their presence would endanger Israeli soldiers and “will not be allowed.”
This marks the second attempt this month to break the Gaza siege, following the seizure of the Madleen ship by Israeli forces on Monday.
The vessel, carrying Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, French European Parliament member Rima Hassan, and Al Jazeera Mubasher reporter Omar Faiad, was intercepted in international waters while delivering aid to Gaza.
The crackdown has created a tense atmosphere in Cairo, but activists remain determined.
“This is about Palestine,” one protester said, echoing the resolve of many planning to march toward Rafah.
