Egyptian authorities have detained more than 200 pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo ahead of an international march aiming to break Israel's blockade on Gaza, organisers said on Thursday.
Thousands of people taking part in the Global March to Gaza planned to travel to Egypt’s Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian territory on Friday to call for increased humanitarian aid access.
“Over 200 participants were detained at Cairo airport or questioned at hotels across Cairo,” the march’s spokesperson, Saif Abukeshek, told AFP.
The detainees included people from Algeria, Australia, France, Morocco, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States, he said.
Plainclothes officers entered Cairo hotels on Wednesday with lists of names, questioning activists, and in some cases, confiscating phones and searching personal belongings, said Abukeshek.
“After interrogations, some were arrested, and others were released.”
At Cairo airport, some detainees were held for hours without explanation, Abukeshek said, adding others were deported, without specifying how many.
More than 20 French activists who had planned to join the march were held at Cairo airport for 18 hours, he said.
“What happened was completely unexpected,” Abukeshek said.
Footage shared with AFP showed dozens of people with their luggage crammed inside a holding room at the airport.
“We’re locked up here in this room with so many people -- some 30-40 people,” a German national said in one video.
“I called the embassy, and they told me their people are trying to figure things out,” she said.
Another video obtained by AFP shows more than 30 people aboard a deportation flight from Cairo chanting in French: “The world is with you... Gaza... Gaza”.
One French traveller, who was briefly detained and released early on Thursday, told AFP he had been held in a room at Cairo airport with around 15 others.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said he saw between 50 and 60 people being stopped, including elderly people and families.
The Greek contingent said in a statement that dozens of Greek nationals were among those held at Cairo airport, but were later released after 10 hours in custody.
The Global March to Gaza said several people were being released after diplomatic staff arrived at Cairo airport to provide “consular assistance to the detained participants”.
Pressure on Israel
After 20 months of war, Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza, which the United Nations has dubbed “the hungriest place on Earth”.
Israel has called on Egyptian authorities “to prevent the arrival of protesters at the Egypt-Israel border”.
Such actions “would endanger the safety of (Israeli) soldiers and will not be allowed” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
In response, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said that while it backs efforts to put “pressure on Israel”, any foreign delegations visiting the border area must receive approval through official channels.
North African convoy
Another convoy dubbed Soumoud, or steadfastness in Arabic, left the Tunisian capital on Monday in buses and cars, hoping to pass through divided Libya and Egypt - which organisers say has yet to provide passage permits - to reach Gaza.
The convoy arrived in Tripoli - the Libyan capital controlled by the internationally recognised government - on Wednesday.
The rival government in the east, loyal to forces of military commander Khalifa Haftar, welcomed on Thursday “this courageous popular initiative”, but added that the convoy has to respect regulations set by Egypt to visit the border area with Gaza.
The Global March to Gaza, which is coordinating with Soumoud, said around 4,000 participants from more than 40 countries would take part in Friday’s march, with many having already arrived.
According to the plan, participants are set to travel by bus to the city of El-Arish in the heavily secured Sinai Peninsula before walking 50 kilometres (30 miles) towards the border with Gaza.
They would then camp there before returning to Cairo on June 19.
Abukeshek said that organisers have already submitted several requests to the Egyptian authorities, but they “have not received any response”.
“We will continue despite what happened because the current numbers in Egypt and those expected to arrive are enough to organise this march,” he said.
