Activists in the Global March to Gaza believed Egyptian authorities would welcome their efforts to deliver aid to the Strip, following Israel’s interception of a protest boat carrying environmentalist Greta Thunberg and others, on its way to do the same.
But Cairo has been in no mood to entertain their ambitions, with Egyptian security forces engaging in violent scuffles with the new set of activists.
While Egyptian officials have heavily criticized Israel’s handling of its war against Hamas, Cairo maintains a heavily fortified border with Gaza due to concerns about terrorists from the enclave infiltrating Egyptian territory.
A British man who described himself as a nurse was widely mocked after being filmed begging stone-faced Egyptian security to allow him and others to “march to Falasteen” and to “stand with your Islamic people” in Gaza.
Organizers say many of the protesters had their passports confiscated and deportation proceedings initiated against them. Others ran into security agents at the Rafah border crossing leading into Gaza.
The Global March to Gaza originated from el-Arish, the capital and largest city of Egypt’s North Sinai Governorate, with its stated goal being to march through northeastern Sinai and set up a camp at the Rafah crossing to initiate the delivery of aid supplies and protest against Israel.
But hundreds of activists, largely from Europe and North Africa, were detained and deported upon their arrival in Egypt, and dozens more met physical resistance closer to the Egypt-Gaza border. Egyptian officials said any foreign delegations making their way through the country must obtain official approval in advance.
Melanie Schweizer, a Global March on Gaza organizer, said, “This is an emergency. We have just been violently dragged into the buses.”
She added, “They started to push people and drag them violently outside. They have beaten people.”
Critics of Israel have claimed that it has been carrying out a starvation campaign in Gaza since an 11-week blockade earlier this year was followed by limited aid delivery. The blockade was intended to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages it has held throughout the war.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed private effort, has delivered millions of meals to Gazans over the last few weeks, while avoiding Hamas theft and control. The mechanism has been largely overshadowed by deadly incidents nearby involving Israeli security forces or Hamas attacks on its own people.
Warnings throughout the war by the United Nations and other organizations regarding the potential of famine in Gaza were debunked, with the United Nations itself unwilling to confirm earlier this year to JNS that a famine has ever taken place in the Strip, leaving current claims in doubt.