Latest news with #MarchToGaza
Extra.ie
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Irish citizens held in Egypt, including TD Paul Murphy released
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has been released from detention by the Egyptian authorities after being held in the region on Friday. The Irish politician was among a group of people who were travelling through Egypt to reach Rafah on the Global March to Gaza, when the incident took place. The party reported on Friday that Mr Murphy and the group had their passports confiscated by Egyptian authorities who were attempting to have them board a bus, which they refused. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has been released from detention by the Egyptian authorities after being held in the region on Friday. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos In a post on X, Mr Murphy wrote: 'We have had our passports confiscated and are being detained. 'It seems Egyptian authorities have decided to crack down on the #GreatMarchToGaza. 'We are refusing to board the deportation bus,' he added. The Irish politician was among a group of people who were travelling through Egypt to reach Rafah on the Global March to Gaza, when the incident took place. Pic: X A final tweet from the TD's account reads: 'These are the final seconds we have from Paul. His phone has been taken, and his passport. We urgently need Minister for Foreign Affairs @SimonHarrisTD to intervene, demand he is freed, his passport & phone returned and the protesters are allowed to peacefully #MarchToGaza.' People Before Profit have since confirmed Mr Murphy's release, with Councillor Jess Spear commenting: 'It is a relief to hear that Paul and the others in his group have been released and are ok. However, they still want to reach Rafah to try and get humanitarian aid into Gaza. That has been the sole purpose of being in Egypt. 'Paul has appealed to Tánaiste Simon Harris to put pressure on the Egyptian authorities to let the marchers reach Rafah. The situation of the people of Gaza worsens by the day as they suffer starvation imposed by Israel. We need to get humanitarian aid to them as quickly as possible.' The party reported on Friday that Mr Murphy and the group had their passports confiscated by Egyptian authorities who were attempting to have them board a bus, which they refused. Pic: X In a post on X on Saturday, Simon Harris confirmed he is currently in contact with Egyptian authorities. 'I have spoken with @IRLEmbCairo & I can confirm that there are no Irish citizens currently in detention in Egypt relating to the march to Rafah. All Irish citizens have had their passports returned. A small number have not had their phones returned & our Embassy is pursuing this.' Mr Murphy also shared an update on the platform, writing: 'We were finally released late last night at airport. Police still have our phones. We are back in Cairo and meeting shortly to decide next steps. We're focused on Israel's genocide and starvation of Gaza. Thanks for your support. Free Palestine.' We were finally released late last night at airport. Police still have our phones. We are back in Cairo and meeting shortly to decide next steps. We're focused on Israel's genocide and starvation of Gaza. Thanks for your support. Free Palestine 🇵🇸 🇵🇸🇵🇸#GlobalMarchToGaza
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy detained in Egypt
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has been detained in Egypt ahead of a pro-Palestinian peace march, his party has claimed. The Irish politician was among a group of people who are travelling through Egypt to reach Rafah on the Global March to Gaza, when the incident took place. The party reports that Mr Murphy and the group had their passports confiscated by Egyptian authorities and are attempting to have them board a bus, which they have refused. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy at Leinster House with his bag packed ahead of his trip to Cairo. Pic: X In a post on X, Mr Murphy wrote: 'We have had our passports confiscated and are being detained. 'It seems Egyptian authorities have decided to crack down on the #GreatMarchToGaza. 'We are refusing to board the deportation bus,' he added. These are the final seconds we have from phone has been taken, and his passport. We urgently need Minister for Foreign Affairs @SimonHarrisTD to intervene, demand he is freed, his passport & phone returned and the protesters are allowed to peacefully #MarchToGaza — Paul Murphy 🇵🇸 (@paulmurphy_TD) June 13, 2025 Wicklow county councillor Mark Barry, of the Social Democrats, is also on the march, however he was not detained, but was turned around at a checkpoint in Ismailia. Mr Murphy's video on X saw protesters chanting 'Free, free Palestine' and 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.' A final tweet from the TD's account reads: 'These are the final seconds we have from Paul. His phone has been taken, and his passport. We urgently need Minister for Foreign Affairs @SimonHarrisTD to intervene, demand he is freed, his passport & phone returned and the protesters are allowed to peacefully #MarchToGaza.' The Irish politician was among a group of people who are travelling through Egypt to reach Rafah on the Global March to Gaza, when the incident took place. Pic: X People Before Profit's National Secretary Matt Collins called on the Government to demand Egyptian authorities release Mr Murphy along with the others who have been detained. He said: 'They are on a peaceful march to demand that humanitarian aid is delivered to starving people in Gaza. There is no reason for them to be detained. 'We also call on the public to contact the Egyptian embassy to demand that people on the Global March to Gaza are allowed to travel unhindered.' Hundreds of people came to Egypt this week for the Global March to Gaza, an international initiative involving people from 54 nations, who will march from Cairo to the Rafah Crossing at the border of Egypt and Palestine on Friday demanding aid be allowed in. Mr Murphy is one of 50 Irish people who is participating in the global march.
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Paul Murphy among 50 Irish people taking part in 'March to Gaza'
A delegation of 50 Irish people will be among thousands setting off on a global 'March to Gaza' today. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy will be among those. Advertisement People from 54 countries are taking part, and will march from Cairo to the Rafah Crossing at the border of Egypt and Palestine today demanding aid be allowed in. However, there are reports of deportations from Egypt. Mr Murphy wrote: "Arrived safely at Cairo airport and on way to town to join the #GlobalMarchToGaza. Nobody being detained and deported this evening. "Pressure on Egyptian government is clearly working. Keep it up demanding that we can march and call for the starvation of Gaza to be ended." Arrived safely at Cairo airport and on way to town to join the #GlobalMarchToGaza . Nobody being detained and deported this evening. Pressure on Egyptian government is clearly working. Keep it up demanding that we can march and call for the starvation of Gaza to be ended. — Paul Murphy 🇵🇸 (@paulmurphy_TD) June 12, 2025 Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh has written to the Ambassador of Egypt to Ireland to ask they be allowed pass through. Mr Ó Snodaigh said: "Irish citizens who are arriving in Egypt to take part in this, similar to people from other countries arriving, are being detained and then deported so they can't take part in the global march. "I've written to the Egyptian ambassador here in Ireland to express our concerns about this."
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Dozens of Irish people to join ‘March to Gaza' from Cairo to Rafah in protest at Israel
Dozens of Irish people are flying to Egypt with the goal of marching from Cairo to the Rafah crossing with Gaza to protest against western military support for Israel in the conflict and to show solidarity with Palestinians under bombardment. About 2,500 people from more than 50 countries are expected to take part in the March to Gaza, including about 50 signed up as part of an Irish delegation. Participants are scheduled to arrive in Egyptian capital Cairo on Thursday. On Friday they aim to depart by bus to Al-Arish, the largest city in the Sinai Peninsula, and begin the march in the afternoon. They are expected to walk about 25km on Saturday and the same distance on Sunday. READ MORE In Rafah they plan to camp for several days and return to Cairo on June 19th. Podcast producer Bairbre Flood (50) said she heard about the action through a friend and will be travelling with her daughter. 'I've been involved in other activist campaigns around migrant issues but this is something I've never seen before in terms of global co-ordination,' she said. 'I'm bringing the love and support of many Palestinians I've met in the diaspora who cannot go themselves.' She said she expected to be able to take part 'safely and peacefully'. 'I'm hoping Egypt knows we have no issue with them and simply want to pass through their country,' she said. [ Israeli strikes kill at least 41 in Gaza, many at aid site, say health officials Opens in new window ] The march begins days after the Israeli interception of the Madleen, a Freedom Flotilla ship that aimed to sail to Gaza to break the siege. Activists on board, including Swedish climate and political activist Greta Thunberg , were detained by Israeli forces. Thunberg has since been deported to Europe. Since Monday a land convoy of more than 100 vehicles has been travelling across North Africa from Tunisian capital Tunis, aiming to finish in Rafah as part of the march. It is known as the Sumud convoy, meaning 'steadfastness'. More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7th, 2023, Gazan health authorities have said. Almost 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage in the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. Some 55 hostages remain in captivity. Israel began an 11-week blockade on aid in March, leading a UN-backed assessment to warn that Gaza's 2.1 million population were at 'critical risk' of famine because of the resulting shortages of food. Though some supplies have begun to enter the enclave again, almost 200 people were killed by Israeli forces while trying to reach aid sites in the last fortnight, Gaza's health ministry has said. . Last November the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes including starvation as a method of warfare. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice . 'We've all been watching this absolute hell on earth take place in front of our eyes for nearly two years now,' said Niamh McNamara (40) from Limerick, who is joining the march. 'Every day has been worse than the last, every crime that Israel commits manages to be more depraved than the last, and nobody is stopping it.' She said she had made other efforts such as 'writing to politicians and making phone calls; protesting and going to actions, boycotting, sending money, trying to support Palestinian people where we can'. [ Seeing Israel use hunger as a weapon of war is monstrous to me as someone with a Holocaust legacy Opens in new window ] However, the situation continued to worsen, she said. 'Ultimately it feels too important to not do this,' she said. 'We know Palestinians see these actions, and we know that it gives them hope ... All across the globe, we have the power of collective action, we can stand together and say we have finally had enough.' Caroline Godard (32), a French PhD researcher living in Ireland since 2021, said she heard about the march through social media. 'I believe it is our responsibility and duty as citizens to take direct action because our governments, especially EU ones, have failed to take any concrete action to stop the crimes committed against the Palestinian people,' she said. 'This failure has consequences for all of us because what Israel are permitted to do in complete impunity, with the complicity of the US and the EU, puts us all at risk. We cannot let this genocide go on.'
Arab News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Activist boat says rescues migrants en route to Gaza
ATHENS: A vessel organized by an international activist coalition to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza has rescued several migrants from the sea near Crete, a support group in Greece said on Friday. The Madleen, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, said it had received a distress signal from a boat in the Mediterranean, forcing it to change course off the coast of Crete. The Madleen has 'a 12-member crew of peaceful activists' headed for Gaza 'with the aim of breaking the blockade of Palestine by the state of Israel,' the March to Gaza Greece group said. 'Upon arrival (at the scene), it discovered that the boat was sinking with approximately 30-35 people aboard.' At that point, the Madleen was approached by a ship that initially identified itself as Egyptian. 'The activists aboard the Madleen quickly realized that this was a false identification and that the ship was, in fact, a Libyan coast guard vessel,' they said. 'Libya is not considered a safe country and for this reason some of the refugees jumped into the sea to avoid being returned there. 'The Madleen rescued four Sudanese individuals who had jumped into the water and brought them aboard.' After several hours of calls for assistance, a Frontex vessel eventually picked up the rescued individuals, the group said, referring to the European Union's border and coast guard agency. The Madleen sailed from Sicily on Sunday. Those on board include climate activist Greta Thunberg. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, launched in 2010, is a non-violent international movement supporting Palestinians. It combines humanitarian aid with political protest against the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Israel has come under increasing international criticism over the critical humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. It blocked all aid into Gaza on March 2. The United Nations warned on May 30 that the entire population of more than two million was at risk of famine. Fighters from Palestinian group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. A total of 1,218 people died, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. The militants abducted 251 hostages, 55 of whom remain in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military says are dead. Since October 2023, Israel's retaliatory war on Hamas-run Gaza has killed 54,677 people there, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry. The United Nations deems the health ministry figures to be reliable. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
