Egypt Daily News – Egyptian authorities have deported dozens of foreigners who had arrived in Cairo to take part in the “Caravan of Steadfastness to Gaza,” according to activists and security sources. The deportations followed detentions at Cairo International Airport and have drawn criticism from organizers and human rights advocates.
Organizers of the march stated that participants from over 80 countries had planned to travel toward Egypt’s Rafah border crossing with Gaza. However, many were either deported upon arrival or detained at the airport. According to sources at Istanbul Airport, at least 73 foreigners were deported on a flight to Istanbul on Thursday, after Egyptian authorities claimed they violated entry regulations. Another 100 individuals reportedly remained at the airport awaiting deportation.
Seif Abu Kishk, spokesperson for the “Global March to Gaza,” told AFP that over 200 people had been detained, including individuals holding American, Australian, Dutch, French, Spanish, Moroccan, and Algerian citizenships.
Egyptian officials stated that the Rafah crossing remains closed from the Gaza side due to Israeli actions and called for increased international pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the besieged territory. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reportedly requested the Israeli army to prevent demonstrators from entering Gaza from Egypt, citing security concerns.
In response to the growing tension, Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement emphasizing the necessity of obtaining prior approvals before visiting the border areas. The statement clarified that requests must be submitted through official diplomatic channels, either via Egyptian embassies abroad, foreign embassies in Cairo, or recognized organizations through the Foreign Ministry.
Abu Kishk countered that the march’s organizers had already submitted over 50 formal requests but received no response. He also criticized Egyptian authorities for allegedly entering hotel rooms, confiscating phones, and searching belongings, measures he described as completely unexpected.
Greek and Maghrebian Delegations Face Detention
Among those detained were several Greek nationals, despite their compliance with all legal entry requirements, according to the Greek delegation. After being held at Cairo airport for approximately 10 hours, they were eventually released. In a statement, the Greek coordinators reaffirmed their commitment to bringing the march as close as possible to the Gaza border, urging for the opening of the Rafah crossing and an end to the blockade.
Organizers claimed that thousands of participants were already in Egypt and planned to march to Rafah via Al-Arish on foot by Sunday. At a press conference a day earlier, coordinators revealed that around 4,000 people from more than 40 countries had booked tickets to Cairo for the event.
“Caravan of Steadfastness” Approaches Egypt from Libya
Simultaneously, the “Caravan of Steadfastness,” a solidarity convoy with participants from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania, reached Tripoli, Libya, on Wednesday. The caravan aims to continue eastward toward the Libyan-Egyptian border and onward to Rafah by Sunday.
However, it remains unclear whether Egyptian authorities will allow the caravan to cross. Sources said that no official decision had been made, citing security concerns, visa requirements, and the lack of verified background information on many participants. The caravan includes over 165 vehicles and buses carrying nearly 2,000 people.
One participant, Haitham Badr, told said that the convoy is not a humanitarian aid mission but a symbolic act of protest. “The goal is to apply public pressure at the border, not to deliver aid. There’s already an overwhelming amount of aid stockpiled at Rafah,” he explained.
According to Badr, the convoy was organized independently by youth volunteers and received positive responses from Tunisian and Libyan authorities, but no reply from the Egyptian embassy in Tunis.
Controversy and Reactions
The convoy’s movement has sparked debate on Egyptian social media, with some politicians and media figures warning of the risks involved in such uncoordinated initiatives. Egyptians believe that most of the people participating in the convoy belong to the banned terrorist group, the Muslim Brotherhood and naturally they disapprove of their entry to Egypt.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated further following Israel’s seizure of the “Madelene,” a civilian ship launched by the international coalition to break the Gaza blockade. Israeli forces reportedly intercepted the vessel in international waters and detained the activists onboard.
Rachad Al-Baz, a member of the coalition, clarified that the Maghrebian convoy was not affiliated with the international flotilla movement but noted that they had offered logistical support to the organizers without receiving a response.
The coordinating group, “Joint Action for Palestine,” affirmed that their goal was to form a “human bridge of solidarity” to support Palestinians and urge the world to take tangible action toward ending the siege.
As Egypt balances domestic security with international pressure and humanitarian imperatives, the coming days may prove critical in shaping the trajectory of these solidarity movements and their impact on the Gaza crisis.
