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Egyptian authorities detained and deported more than 200 pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo ahead of an international march planned to challenge Israel’s blockade on Gaza, organizers said Thursday.
Turkish activists among the deported group condemned the Egyptian government at Sabiha Gokcen Airport, calling President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi the “pharaoh of Egypt.”
“We were seriously faced with both mental and verbal abuse, as well as inhumane treatment,” one Turkish activist said on behalf of the group.“Egypt is doing everything it can for Israel. It’s acting solely for Israel’s security.”
Thousands of activists from around the world had planned to travel to Egypt’s Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian territory on Friday as part of the Global March to Gaza, demanding increased humanitarian aid access to the blockaded region.
The detained activists included participants from Türkiye, Algeria, Australia, France, Morocco, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States, according to march spokesperson Saif Abukeshek.
“Over 200 participants were detained at Cairo airport or questioned at hotels across Cairo,” Abukeshek told AFP.
Plainclothes officers entered Cairo hotels Wednesday with lists of names, questioning activists and, in some cases, confiscating phones and searching personal belongings, he said. “After interrogations, some were arrested and others were released.”
At Cairo airport, some detainees were held for hours without explanation, and others were deported, though Abukeshek did not specify the number.
After 20 months of war, Israel faces growing international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza, which the United Nations has called “the hungriest place on Earth.”
Israel has urged 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,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
In response, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said it supports efforts to pressure Israel but requires any foreign delegations seeking to visit the border area to obtain approval through official channels.
On Wednesday, Egypt announced all foreign delegations wanting to visit the Gaza border area, including the city of Arish and the Rafah crossing, must receive prior approval.
The convoy, consisting of 12 buses and 100 private cars with more than 1,000 activists from North African countries, departed Tunisia Monday. It is expected to reach Egypt Thursday before heading to Rafah near Gaza.
Rejecting international calls for a cease-fire, the Israeli military has maintained a harsh offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 55,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Israel has kept Gaza’s border crossings closed to humanitarian aid since early March, prompting aid groups to warn of a looming famine among Gaza’s 2.4 million residents.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice related to its war on the enclave.
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