Limerick woman in group marching across the Sinai desert to Gaza to demand an end to the slaughter
Ms MacNamara is joining roughly 2,500 international participants from more than 60 countries calling for immediate humanitarian access to the besieged region and an end to the 19-month onslaught on Gaza.
The march, which officially begins on June 13, is expected to take two to three days, covering ground from a town in the Sinai Desert to the Rafah border crossing, the only entry point between Egypt and Gaza.
Ms MacNamara says the group hopes to arrive by June 15, marching primarily in the cooler hours of early morning and evening to avoid the extreme desert heat.
While they acknowledge they cannot physically break the blockade on Gaza, the group's aim is to call for the permanent opening of the Rafah crossing for true humanitarian aid, an end to military occupation of Gaza, reconstruction efforts and a stop to the colonisation.
'It's symbolic, yes, but it's also urgent. The goal is to pressure for the opening of humanitarian corridors, for real international oversight, and ultimately for an end to the occupation,' Ms MacNamara told the Irish Independent via phone from Cairo.
Ms MacNamara, who grew up in Limerick city, says she travelled to Egypt alone, but quickly found community with the diverse group of marchers.
'A lot of the people here aren't seasoned activists,' she stated. 'They're regular people who just couldn't stay silent any longer. There's an incredible number of women involved, one participant is 70-years-old and ready to walk across the desert for Palestine.'
The march to Gaza is just one of several large-scale international actions unfolding this week.
Ms MacNamara also referenced a second convoy currently making its way from Tunisia across North Africa, believed to include up to 4,000 participants.
Asked if she was nervous about potential risks at the heavily restricted Rafah crossing, Ms MacNamara was unequivocal: 'No. Nothing we face can compare to what people in Gaza are living through daily.
ADVERTISEMENT
'Children are starving, injured without anaesthetic, and hospitals are in ruins. This is a war on children and someone has to act.'
Though she has engaged in activism at home on local issues, this marks her first international effort of this scale.
Follow Independent Limerick on Facebook
'It's the most serious cause I've ever joined,' she reveals. 'It feels like the Holocaust in real-time and no one can say they didn't know. We're all watching it happen.'
The march is being coordinated with the help of NGOs and local organisers, though for security reasons, specific logistics are being kept confidential.
Ms MacNamara confirmed the group, made up of people from Tyrone, Wicklow, Dublin, Galway, Westmeath, Limerick, Cork, Donegal, Clare, Mayo, Laois, Offaly, Antrim, Down, Derry, Armagh and Tipperary, are traveling light, with nothing but mere backpacks to keep them sustained.
When asked what message she'd share with those supporting Zionist policies, MacNamara was clear: 'There is no excuse left. If you still call yourself a Zionist after witnessing this, then you should be ashamed. I wouldn't even engage with you.'
'We want the people of Palestine to know they're not forgotten. They are and must remain at the centre of this,' she added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
35 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Iran launces retaliatory missile attacks against Israel; explosions heard over Tel Aviv
Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as sirens sounded on Friday night across Israel following what the country's military spokesman said was the firing of missiles from Iran. Iran's state news agency IRNA said hundreds of ballistic missiles had been launched in retaliation for Israel's biggest ever attacks on Iran, blasting Iran's huge underground nuclear site at Natanz and wiping out its top military commanders. Israel said the strikes were the start of "Operation Rising Lion". Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of having started the strikes and initiating a war. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that they carried out attacks against dozens of targets across Israel on Friday night. One Iranian senior official told Reuters: 'Our revenge has just started, they will pay a high price for killing our commanders, scientists and people.' The official added that 'nowhere in Israel will be safe' and that 'Our revenge will be painful.' Earlier, US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear programme. As evening fell on Friday, Iranian media reported explosions on the northern and southern outskirts of Tehran and at Fordow, near the holy city of Qom, a second nuclear site which had been spared in the first wave of attacks. Air defences were activated across Tehran and explosions could be heard in Isfahan. In this photo released by the Iranian Red Crescent Society rescuers work at the scene of an explosion after an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (Iranian Red Crescent Society via AP) Israel's military said it was striking Iranian missile and drone launching sites, and had struck another nuclear site in Isfahan. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli campaign was aimed at defeating an existential threat from Iran, invoking the failure to halt the Holocaust in World War Two. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat," he said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said it was not clear if Iran's nuclear programme had survived. He said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place. "We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. "They can still work out a deal, however, it's not too late." Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. File Picture: AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said military action by itself would not destroy Iran's nuclear programme, but could "create the conditions for a long-term deal, led by the United States" to get rid of it. 'Decapitation' Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia last year. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed. Among the generals killed on Friday were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami. Major General Mohammad Pakpour, swiftly promoted to replace Salami as Guards commander, vowed retaliation in a letter to the Supreme Leader read out on state television: "The gates of hell will open to the child-killing regime." Iranians described an atmosphere of fear and anger, with some people rushing to change money and others seeking a way out of the country to safety. "People on my street rushed out of their homes in panic, we were all terrified," said Marziyeh, 39, who was awakened by a blast in Natanz. While some Iranians quietly hoped the attack would lead to changes in Iran's hardline clerical leadership, others vowed to rally behind the authorities. "I will fight and die for our right to a nuclear programme. Israel and its ally America cannot take it away from us with these attacks," said Ali, a member of the pro-government Basij militia in Qom. Iranian media showed images of destroyed apartment blocks, and said nearly 80 civilians were killed in attacks that targeted nuclear scientists in their beds and wounded more than 300 people. Iran's ability to retaliate with weapons fired by its regional proxies has been sharply degraded over the past year, with the downfall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the decimation of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Israel said a missile fired from Yemen - whose Houthi militia are one of the last remaining Iranian-aligned groups still able to fire at Israel - had landed in Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Red Crescent said three Palestinian children were wounded by shrapnel there. Iran launched multiple waves of ballistic missiles towards Israel on Friday. Picture: AP Israel said that Iran had launched around 100 drones towards Israeli territory on Friday, but Iran denied this and there were no reports of drones reaching Israeli targets. The United Nations Security Council was due to meet on Friday at Tehran's request. Iran said in a letter to the Council that it would respond decisively and proportionally to Israel's "unlawful" and "cowardly" acts. The price of crude leapt on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across a major oil-producing region, although there were no reports that oil production or storage was damaged. OPEC said the escalation did not justify any immediate changes to oil supply. An Israeli security source said Mossad commandos had been operating deep inside the Islamic Republic before the attack, and the Israeli spy agency and military had mounted a series of covert operations against Iran's strategic missile array. Israel also established an attack-drone base near Tehran, the source added. The military said it had bombarded Iran's air defences, destroying "dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers". Israeli officials said it may be some time before the extent of damage to the underground nuclear site at Natanz is clear, where Iran has refined uranium to levels Western countries have long said are suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. Tehran had been engaged in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear programme to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran had rejected the last US offer. - Reuters
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
‘Mediahuis firmly believes in the future of journalism in Ireland' – ‘Irish Independent' publisher reaches 100,000 digital subscribers
The Irish Independent began placing its journalism behind a paywall in February 2020 as part of a new digital strategy. Over the past five years the digital offering has grown with the development of audio and video departments as well as a renewed focus on local news. Along with subscribers, Mediahuis reaches over one million readers in Ireland every week through a mix of print products, podcasts and free digital news. The 100,000 subscribers figure was announced by Mediahuis Ireland CEO Peter Vandermeersch at a meeting of staff today. 'I am extremely happy and proud of this achievement,' he said. 'It shows that our journalism, be it in the Irish Independent or the Belfast Telegraph, is being valued by readers all over the island of Ireland. 'In a world where fake news is omnipresent, it is crucial to be a trusted source. Mediahuis firmly believes in further building the future of journalism in Ireland.' The paywall was launched just before Ireland and the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the Irish Independent's journalists to work remotely for two years. Editor-in-chief Cormac Bourke said: 'In the period since we started asking people to pay for news online, there have been historic elections, some of the worst storms on record, disturbing events like the Dublin riots and joyful days like our Olympic glories. 'Our journalists have been there for all of them, working to ensure our readers get the full picture and the story behind the story. 'It is down to their hard work that people come back day after day for reliable and relatable news and features. Our subscribers are giving us their trust and their financial support, which is a huge vote of confidence and encourages us to do even more.' ADVERTISEMENT In recent times, the Irish Independent has launched a number of new journalistic projects, including the 'Indo Sport' podcast with Joe Molloy; a new online vertical focused entirely on money and personal finance. There has also been significant investment in hiring local journalists in communities around Ireland, and each county now has its own dedicated news page on the Irish Independent website and app. The Irish Independent offers two digital subscription tiers: Premium, which gives full access to online articles and app content, and Premium+, which includes digital replicas of the print editions, complete with offline reading, archives, and puzzles. Sheena Pierse, chief customer officer, said: 'With 100,000 paying digital subscribers and a weekly readership that spans more than a million across print and digital, Mediahuis Ireland's news brands are not only trusted, they are essential. Our titles lead the way in reach and relevance, reflecting the enduring value of independent Irish journalism.'
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
Limerick woman in group marching across the Sinai desert to Gaza to demand an end to the slaughter
Ms MacNamara is joining roughly 2,500 international participants from more than 60 countries calling for immediate humanitarian access to the besieged region and an end to the 19-month onslaught on Gaza. The march, which officially begins on June 13, is expected to take two to three days, covering ground from a town in the Sinai Desert to the Rafah border crossing, the only entry point between Egypt and Gaza. Ms MacNamara says the group hopes to arrive by June 15, marching primarily in the cooler hours of early morning and evening to avoid the extreme desert heat. While they acknowledge they cannot physically break the blockade on Gaza, the group's aim is to call for the permanent opening of the Rafah crossing for true humanitarian aid, an end to military occupation of Gaza, reconstruction efforts and a stop to the colonisation. 'It's symbolic, yes, but it's also urgent. The goal is to pressure for the opening of humanitarian corridors, for real international oversight, and ultimately for an end to the occupation,' Ms MacNamara told the Irish Independent via phone from Cairo. Ms MacNamara, who grew up in Limerick city, says she travelled to Egypt alone, but quickly found community with the diverse group of marchers. 'A lot of the people here aren't seasoned activists,' she stated. 'They're regular people who just couldn't stay silent any longer. There's an incredible number of women involved, one participant is 70-years-old and ready to walk across the desert for Palestine.' The march to Gaza is just one of several large-scale international actions unfolding this week. Ms MacNamara also referenced a second convoy currently making its way from Tunisia across North Africa, believed to include up to 4,000 participants. Asked if she was nervous about potential risks at the heavily restricted Rafah crossing, Ms MacNamara was unequivocal: 'No. Nothing we face can compare to what people in Gaza are living through daily. ADVERTISEMENT 'Children are starving, injured without anaesthetic, and hospitals are in ruins. This is a war on children and someone has to act.' Though she has engaged in activism at home on local issues, this marks her first international effort of this scale. Follow Independent Limerick on Facebook 'It's the most serious cause I've ever joined,' she reveals. 'It feels like the Holocaust in real-time and no one can say they didn't know. We're all watching it happen.' The march is being coordinated with the help of NGOs and local organisers, though for security reasons, specific logistics are being kept confidential. Ms MacNamara confirmed the group, made up of people from Tyrone, Wicklow, Dublin, Galway, Westmeath, Limerick, Cork, Donegal, Clare, Mayo, Laois, Offaly, Antrim, Down, Derry, Armagh and Tipperary, are traveling light, with nothing but mere backpacks to keep them sustained. When asked what message she'd share with those supporting Zionist policies, MacNamara was clear: 'There is no excuse left. If you still call yourself a Zionist after witnessing this, then you should be ashamed. I wouldn't even engage with you.' 'We want the people of Palestine to know they're not forgotten. They are and must remain at the centre of this,' she added.
