Global March to Gaza: Thousands rally for humanitarian access despite Egyptian warnings

IOL News

3 days ago

Participants in the March to Gaza are waved goodbye as they depart from Schiphol Airport for Egypt.
Image: Ramon van Flymen / ANP MAG / ANP via AFP
Thousands from across the globe have made their way to Cairo, Egypt, ahead of the Global March to Gaza, set to begin on June 13.
The initiative, backed by over 300 international organisations from civil society, labour unions, healthcare networks, and human rights associations, aims to peacefully advocate for humanitarian access to Gaza via Egypt's Rafah border.
The march comes as Gaza faces what UN officials describe as a 'catastrophic humanitarian crisis.'
Israel has imposed severe restrictions on aid routes. Aid, including food, water, and medical supplies, continues to accumulate at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, blocked by bureaucratic and political barriers.
According to the World Health Organisation, the entire 2.1 million population of Gaza is facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death.
'Our goal is not to forcibly enter Gaza,' organisers insist. 'We aim to negotiate with Egyptian authorities to open a humanitarian corridor, with the support of diplomats, NGOs, and international law experts.'
From Cairo, participants will travel by bus to Al Arish, where they will begin a 48-kilometre march to the Rafah crossing, arriving by June 15. A short stay and peaceful sit-in are planned near the terminal until June 19, depending on Egyptian permissions.
Organisers emphasise that the Global March to Gaza is a non-partisan, non-religious, and entirely civic movement, driven solely by humanitarian principles. 'We are not here as politicians,' a spokesperson said. 'We represent ordinary people who believe in justice, human dignity, and peace. This is not about ideology—it's about lives.'
In an official statement released on June 10, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the planned mobilisation and reaffirmed Egypt's sovereign control over the Rafah border.
'While Egypt recognises the humanitarian concern expressed by participants in the so-called Global March to Gaza, we urge all parties to respect national laws and refrain from actions that may escalate tensions or compromise border security,' the statement read.
'Egypt continues to work with international partners to coordinate aid delivery to Gaza, but any mass civilian mobilisation near a sensitive border zone poses risks we cannot ignore.'
Despite the warning, march organisers remain firm in their commitment to nonviolence and legality. A team of international lawyers is accompanying the march to ensure compliance with local laws and safeguard participants' rights.
'If we are blocked or turned back, the world will see,' said the march organisers. 'Our visibility is our strength. We are citizens, not militants, and any repression will only amplify the message: Gaza must not be forgotten.'
Participants include teachers, nurses, artists, students, and activists from over 50 countries. Major supporters range from DiEM25, Africa4Palestine, Healthcare Workers for Palestine, to various trade unions and feminist organisations. Delegations from Canada, South Africa, France, Argentina, Japan, and Greece are already on the ground.
When asked why they do not simply donate to NGOs, organisers explained: 'Many NGOs are currently blocked. Our march is not a replacement but a complementary action—a visible, peaceful pressure campaign to unblock humanitarian access.'
Bringing the matter home, the PAGAD (People Against Gangsterism and Drugs) delegate said they were detained for 11 hours and were at risk of deportation as they were on the journey to the Global March to Gaza.
They are believed to be part of the thousands of activists for the march. Among those detained was National Coordinator Haroon Orrie and six others.
Political parties condemned the detention and hoped for their safe return.
The International Relations Department's spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, said he would verify the incident.
The Cape Town Ulama Board released a statement on Thursday, saying it stands in support of the march to Gaza.
"In light of the the thousands of activists from around the world marching to Gaza including South Africans, in aim to break the suffocating siege and draw attention to the genocide occurring, we call on the Egyptian authorities not to detain anyone standing for justice and to release the detained South African and all the other detained activists and participants aiming to join the global march to Gaza."
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