Egypt calls on Gaza convoy participants to obtain permits for entry
Egyptian authorities on Wednesday called on activists to obtain official permits on their journey from Tunisia to the border with Gaza in solidarity with Palestinian civilians.
Around 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.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in Cairo that the activists must submit applications through Egyptian embassies abroad, through foreign missions in Cairo or directly through organizations.
"Visits to the border region must comply with strict regulations and prior coordination through official channels. Requests should be submitted in advance," the ministry said in a statement.
It added that Egypt emphasizes that any delegation that bypasses these protocols will not be allowed entry.
An Egyptian secuirty source said that more than 100 activists were arrested by authorities upon their arrival to the country.
Among them were 52 French, 67 Algerian, 13 Moroccan and 8 Libyan nationals.
Since the beginning of the war, established procedures for access to the border region with Gaza have been in place.
The convoy has travelled through several cities in Tunisia and from there into neighbouring Libya. It will continue along the Mediterranean coast to Egypt and finally to Rafah.
Ahmed Ghniyah, western coordinator of the "Convoy of Steadfastness," reported receiving around 400 requests from Libyan volunteers eager to join the aid convoy as it passes through the country.
The activists say they want to use the convoy to draw attention to the humanitarian emergency in the Gaza Strip and protest against Israel's attacks.
The plan was for them to walk about 50 kilometers from the coastal town of Al-Arish to the Rafah border crossing on Friday. They plan to demonstrate there for several days starting on Sunday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
G7 Leaders Urged to Abandon Net Zero and Climate-Aligned Finance says Friends of Science
At the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Friends of Science Society urges world leaders to abandon Net Zero and climate-aligned finance goals, citing Vaclav Smil's new book on the impossibility of Net Zero. Retired energy economist, Robert Lyman, has issued several reports questioning Prime Minister Carney's energy superpower plans, which show that climate policies are strangling the Canadian economy. CALGARY, AB, June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on the economic and security goals outlined in Prime Minister Mark Carney's G7 press release of June 07, 2025, Friends of Science Society urges world leaders to abandon Net Zero and climate-aligned finance goals. Renowned energy author Vaclav Smil's latest book "2050. Pourquoi un monde sans carbone est presque impossible" [translation: "2050. Why a carbon-free world is almost impossible."] makes the case that such goals are extremely unlikely. Smil's key points are summarized in French and English in this post on "Science, Climat et Energie." Professors Happer and Lindzen show, in this new report, that carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases are not driving global warming; expensive efforts to reduce these gases will lead to deindustrialization, poverty and famine worldwide. As noted in this CLINTEL report which cites Obama's former science advisor, the 2 degree Celsius (or 1.5 °C) Paris Agreement target was made up; it is not a product of science, thus compliance with the agreement will not provide "climate insurance" from extreme weather or wildfires; the objective is unaffordable and unnecessary. Friends of Science Society has issued an Open Letter to the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions in Canada, explaining that Net Zero targets are unattainable and why. The letter challenges the push for the Climate-Aligned Finance Act (CAFA) "…would put such organizations in the position of acting in a fraudulent manner, as no amount of financial effort can make Net Zero a reality; and society will need to use fossil fuels for decades to come." CAFA is also presently promoted by Catherine McKenna and her "Women Leading on Climate" group. Prime Minister Carney has raised Canadian expectations of Canada becoming an energy superpower overnight leading to a bold economic recovery, but the likelihood of these propositions are questioned by Robert Lyman in two new reports, titled: "Canada's Infrastructure Selection Criteria – Deciphering The Rhetoric," and "Energy Superpower Vs. Net-Zero? Don't Jump!" Robert Lyman, is a retired energy economist who for 27 years served in the Canadian government as an advisor and manager on energy, environment and transportation issues and has written extensively on these issues since that time. As discussed in Lyman's "Deciphering the Rhetoric," Premier Tim Houston of Nova Scotia, Canada has proposed "Wind West," a massive 66-Gigawatt offshore wind farm, which he claims could provide 27% of Canada's electrical generation needs. "Deciphering the Rhetoric" explains why this proposal is uneconomic and would have the potential to cause national blackouts. On April 28, 2025, Spain and Portugal both experienced national blackouts, primarily due to far too great a ratio of renewables on the grid, versus more stable frequency control which comes from conventional inertial, dispatchable power. Though the Pathways Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has been highlighted by both Prime Minister Carney and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson as a possible project of national importance, Robert Lyman's 2019 report "The Carbon Capture and Storage Trap – for Taxpayers" is a cautionary tale. Friends of Science Society's "Getting to Net Zero" in Canada shows the Canada Energy Regulator's proposals for applying CCUS to reach Net Zero are unrealistic: video explainer. Friends of Science Society expresses concerns that the push for Net Zero is simply a mirage to foist Article 6 carbon trading and so-called "Nature-based Climate Solutions" on corporations, and ultimately consumers, as outlined in this Western Standard report, "But, while many net-zero bankers see this as a gold mine, energy analyst Anas Alhajji calls carbon accounting the 'Mother of all Enrons.'" Canada's Curious Climate Connection with Europe is a Friends of Science video explainer that offers insights, pros and cons, into suggestions that Canada should join the EU. To achieve global security and prosperity, G7 attendees should abandon Net Zero, embrace conventional energy and reject Climate-Aligned Finance, says Friends of Science. AboutFriends of Science Society is an independent group of earth, atmospheric and solar scientists, engineers, and citizens that is celebrating its 23rd year of offering climate science insights. After a thorough review of a broad spectrum of literature on climate change, Friends of Science Society has concluded that the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2).Friends of Science SocietyPO Box 61172 RPO KensingtonCalgary AB T2N 4S6CanadaToll-free Telephone: 1-888-789-9597Web: contact(at)friendsofscience(dot)orgWeb: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Friends of Science Society
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Israel says Hamas 'weaponising suffering in Gaza' as aid workers killed
Israel charged on Thursday that Hamas was "weaponising suffering in Gaza" after a US and Israeli-backed charity accused the Palestinian militant group of killing eight of its aid workers in the territory. The distribution of food and basic supplies in the blockaded and war-ravaged Gaza has become increasingly fraught and perilous, exacerbating the territory's deep hunger crisis. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said a bus carrying its staff to a distribution site near the southern city of Khan Yunis was "brutally attacked by Hamas" around 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Wednesday. The GHF said: "As of now, we can confirm at least eight fatalities, multiple injuries, and we fear that some of our team members have been taken hostage." Israel's foreign ministry said "Hamas is weaponising suffering in Gaza -- denying food, targeting lifesavers and forsaking its own people". Asked to respond to the GHF accusation, the Hamas government media office in Gaza said GHF was a "filthy tool" of Israeli forces and was being used to "lure civilians into death traps". It did not comment on the GHF's accusation. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach GHF distribution points since they began operating in late May, according to Gaza's civil defence agency. The agency said another 21 people were killed while waiting for aid on Thursday, adding that they were among 29 people across the territory who were killed by Israeli fire. Contacted by AFP about reports of a deadly incident near an aid distribution point close to the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, the Israeli military said it had "conducted warning shots hundreds of metres from the aid distribution site, prior to its opening hours." Israeli restrictions on media in Gaza and the difficulties of access on the ground mean AFP is unable to independently verify the casualty tolls provided by the civil defence agency or the deaths reported by the GHF. - 'Died while waiting' - An officially private effort with opaque funding, the GHF began operating on May 26 after Israel cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking international condemnation and warnings of imminent famine. During its first week of operations, the GHF said it distributed more than seven million meals' worth of food, but its operations were widely criticised even before the deadly shootings near its sites. The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to work with the GHF, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Gaza medics have said hospitals are being inundated with people wounded while trying to obtain food. At Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital on Wednesday, the emergency department said it had received dozens of people who had been killed or wounded while waiting for aid in recent days, including 200 in a single day. "Many Gazans went to the Nabulsi and Netzarim areas to receive aid and were shot at and shelled with tanks," said Mutaz Harara, head of Al-Shifa's emergency department. But with few medical supplies and no operating theatres, "many patients died while waiting for their turn", he said. The war has caused major damage to infrastructure across Gaza, including water mains, telecommunication cables, power lines and roads. The Palestinian Authority said internet and fixed-line communication services were down in Gaza on Thursday following an attack on the territory's last fibre optic cable which it blamed on Israel. - Aid workers deported - Meanwhile, Israel's foreign ministry said six people detained aboard a boat attempting to breach Israel's Gaza blockade were put on a plane for deportation on Thursday afternoon. They included European parliamentarian Rima Hassan, it said. "Bye-bye -- and don't forget to take a selfie before you leave," the ministry wrote on X. The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted 149-12 with 19 abstentions a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urging "all necessary measures" to pressure Israel into ending the conflict. The US vetoed a similar push at the Security Council last week. Egyptian authorities meanwhile detained more than 200 pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo ahead of a planned march to the Gaza border, the organisers said. Egypt said while it backs efforts to put "pressure on Israel" to lift its Gaza blockade, any foreign delegations seeking to visit the border area must obtain prior approval. The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israel said late on Wednesday that its forces had retrieved the bodies of two hostages from southern Gaza. Prior to the latest announcement, out of 251 taken hostage during the Hamas attack, 54 were still held in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military has said are dead. Hamas's assault resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 55,207 people, the majority of them civilians. The United Nations considers the figures reliable. bur-acc-jd-lba/dv/gv
Axios
2 hours ago
- Axios
Protests ignite after U.S. customs detains Palestinian men at SFO
Two Palestinian men had their visas revoked by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at San Francisco International Airport Wednesday and remain in federal custody, according to Supervisor Bilal Mahmood. Driving the news: An East Bay Jewish congregation had invited Eid Hthaleen and Ouda Alhadlin, two community leaders in the occupied West Bank, to participate in an interfaith speaking tour. The men's detention comes as the Trump administration escalates immigration raids, cracks down on nationwide protests and tries to deport some pro-Palestinian protesters. State of play: The two men arrived on a flight from Jordan around 1pm Wednesday and were denied entry with "no cause given" despite holding valid visas, according to Mahmood. Both were scheduled to speak at the Kehilla Community Synagogue to help fundraise for children's programming in the West Bank. Members of the synagogue raised the alarm after the two men failed to meet them at the airport, Mahmood told Axios. Mahmood visited SFO Wednesday night after a call from the public defender's office, "knocking on doors" and staying until 2am in search of answers. A CPB official eventually confirmed to him that they are holding both men and plan to return them to the Middle East as early as Thursday afternoon. What they're saying: CPB did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. The latest: The synagogue quickly rallied supporters Thursday morning. Roughly 100 protesters stationed themselves at SFO's international terminal, chanting "Let them go" and holding signs that said "Jews say stop the genocide of Palestinians," Mission Local reports. The Bay Area branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations also organized a City Hall demonstration Thursday with other faith leaders to demand the men's release. "We don't know what conditions they're in or if they've been given any food," Mahmood said. Zoom in: Mahmood called their detention an unconscionable act of censorship and discrimination, especially when Hthaleen and Alhadlin are part of a "humanitarian mission" to bridge the gap between Palestinians and Jews.
