Israeli Defence Minister Katz asks Egypt to halt activists at border
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz called on Egypt on Wednesday to prevent activists from reaching Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip and entering the Palestinian territory.
This would endanger the safety of Israeli troops in Gaza, which would not be allowed, Katz said in a statement. The Israeli army currently controls the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing.
Earlier Egyptian authorities called on activists to obtain official permits on their journey from Tunisia to the border with Gaza in solidarity with Palestinian civilians. Some 1,700 activists have set off from Tunis in buses and cars, according to the state news agency TAP, including around 200 from Algeria.
They hope to travel through Libya and Egypt to reach the Rafah crossing with Gaza to protest Israel's conduct in the war.
Among them were 52 French, 67 Algerian, 13 Moroccan and 8 Libyan nationals.
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