'We can't stand it anymore,' Laois mother on march to Gaza
A mother-of-four from Co Laois is flying to Egypt to join people from over 60 countries with the goal of marching to the Rafah crossing in Gaza.
Helen Lawlor, a nurse from Mountmellick, is one of around 50 people from Ireland who are taking part in the Global March to Gaza.
It describes itself as a peaceful movement which is aiming to lift the siege of the Palestinian enclave.
"The Irish delegation is joining participants from more than 60 countries who are standing together to say: 'we can't watch this anymore, we can't allow this to continue," Ms Lawlor explained.
Participants are gathering in Cairo in Egypt today, before travelling by bus to Al Arish, where the 48km march will begin tomorrow. They expect to arrive at Rafah on Sunday.
"It's a civil, peaceful demonstration by people to express and plead the need to allow humanitarian aid to pass into Gaza," Ms Lawlor said.
The march begins days after Israel detained the Madleen, the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ship with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and 11 others on board.
Since Monday, a convoy of Pro-Palestinian activists from Tunisia, Algeria and Libya have been travelling across land as part of the 'Soumoud' convoy, meaning 'steadfastness'.
Israel's blockade on aid has been ongoing since early March.
Its military campaign has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the densely populated strip, which is home to more than two million people.
Almost 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage in the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel's single deadliest day.
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