In Morocco’s capital, Egyptian authorities have intensified their crackdown on activists planning to march to Gaza, protesting the restrictions on aid delivery to the strip. As security forces in eastern Libya halted an activist convoy attempting to reach the same destination, the tensions are escalating.
The demonstrators, hailing from 80 different nations, had intended to march to Egypt’s border with Gaza to draw global attention to the worsening humanitarian situation faced by Palestinians. The crisis has deepened since Israel began restricting aid trucks from entering the territory in March, which saw only a marginal easing of restrictions last month. Experts caution that these efforts to allow limited aid are severely insufficient.
This Global March on Gaza aimed to stand as one of the largest protests of its kind in recent memory, occurring alongside other initiatives. This included a vessel carrying activists and supplies intercepted by Israel’s military on its path to Gaza earlier in the week.
In Egypt, authorities took action against activists by confiscating the passports of 40 individuals at a checkpoint near Cairo, holding them under uncomfortable conditions. Other activists found themselves detained in hotels, with organizers urging intervention from officials in the activists’ home nations.
The detentions came on the heels of previous actions where hundreds were held upon arrival in Cairo and deported back to their countries in Europe and North Africa. Before their passports were seized, activists had plans to congregate at a campsite along the Sinai road to prepare for the upcoming protest on Sunday. They revealed they had not received permission from Egypt to traverse the Sinai, a region of considerable sensitivity for the country.
The activists released a statement pressing the Egyptian government to allow the peaceful march, emphasizing that it was aligned with Egypt’s declared intentions to stabilize its borders and address the ongoing crisis in Gaza. Hicham El-Ghaoui, a spokesperson for the group, indicated the group would hold off on protesting until clarification on protest authorization was provided.
These intended protests have placed an uncomfortable spotlight on Egypt, a nation with a history of cracking down on pro-Palestinian activists while simultaneously condemning aid restrictions and advocating for peace. Despite being a major recipient of U.S. military aid with ties to Israel, the Egyptian government has been accused of arresting 186 activists on charges of endangering state security since the conflict’s onset. The activists have asserted their protests were peaceful, aimed at gathering support and donations for Gaza.
The severity of the crackdown has taken many European activists by surprise. Antonietta Chiodo, who traveled from Italy, described being detained, interrogated, and unsympathetically treated by Egyptian authorities or deported. Alexis Deswaef, a Belgian human rights lawyer, recounted waking to find Talat Harb Square surrounded by security forces, with officers requesting assistance booking taxis to popular tourist destinations.
Meanwhile, in the politically fragmented Libya, a convoy carrying aid overland from Algeria was stopped in Sirte, a city about 940 kilometers from the Libya-Egypt border. Although it had picked up more participants in Tunisia and Libya, it could not advance. The convoy had traversed regions held by rival Libyan factions, some supported by Egypt.
The government based in Benghazi urged the activists to engage with Libyan authorities through established channels, ensuring safety and solidarity with Palestinians. They were advised to return home, noting Egypt’s declarations that the march had not been sanctioned. Despite being advised to wait, the convoy organizers in Sirte remained determined to proceed eventually.
These converging efforts — the activist flotilla, the convoy, and the planned demonstration — illustrate growing global discontent over Gaza’s dire circumstances. Israel’s continued airstrikes and blockade, intended to pressure Hamas, have compounded the crisis, disrupting the delivery of necessary humanitarian aid.
The U.N. has voiced concerns over the dependence of Gaza’s population on aid for survival. Experts further warn of impending famine unless Israel lifts its blockade. As of recent counts, chaos at distribution points for the limited aid entering Gaza has resulted in nearly 200 deaths. Despite international findings highlighting severe food shortages impacting millions of Palestinians, Israel has dismissed these as unfounded.