Multiple news sites, including Al Jazeera and Newsweek, reported that thousands of international pro-Palestine activists had been detained and prevented from reaching Egypt’s Rafah border crossing during the “Global March to Gaza” event, allegedly over security concerns.
Scenes of demonstrators being forcefully dispersed and detained included footage of Duffel Zwelivelile Mandela, the grandson of late anti-apartheid leader and former South African president Nelson Mandela.
He reportedly had his passport seized. Egypt’s response has sparked outrage among the organizers trying to shed more light on the horrific conditions under which Palestinians are forced to live.
According to dropsitenews.com, an independent investigative journalism website, “On Friday, (June 13) some 200 participants in the Global March to Gaza were stopped at a security checkpoint outside of Cairo, Egypt, as they made their way to Ismailia, a city on the Suez Canal 80 miles east of Cairo.”
The outlet reported that marchers were held for several hours and had their passports temporarily confiscated, with some allegedly being dragged onto buses back to Cairo by plainclothes security officials.
“Other participants who separately managed to reach the hotel in Ismailia were similarly rounded up, some beaten and forced onto buses back to Cairo,” dropsitenews.com reported.
The coalition of organizations that put together the march argues that their efforts are a non-partisan and civilian-led call for an end to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. Organizers included representatives from various human rights, union and social justice groups.
They contend it is a peaceful movement involving nearly 4,000 volunteers from over 80 countries. According to marchtogaza.net, participants were to gather in Cairo on June 12, travel by bus to Al Arish the next day, where the nearly 30-mile march was to begin. Marchers were scheduled to walk toward Rafah, camp for 2-3 days, before returning to Cairo on June 19.
Mandela was reportedly at a checkpoint when his passport was confiscated. He told a group of reporters, at a checkpoint, that was posted on Instagram, that, “Those coming into Cairo have had many challenges.
Going through each and every tollgate where we have been subjected, just as Palestinians are (subjected) in the West Bank to checkpoints where they (Palestinians) have to present their identity documents. In this second checkpoint that we are in our passports were taken away. And we were held in this place (outside in the hot sun) for over six hours.”
Mandela told reporters that their issues were not directed at the Egyptian government. “We have only one mission, to ensure that we reach the Rafah crossing, and that we are able to get humanitarian aid into Gaza,” he said.
“As you are well aware there are thousands of trucks that are waiting to get into Gaza.” He added, “We are here … for the interest of Palestinians. We can no longer sit idle while babies, children and women in particular are butchered, massacred on a daily basis through a genocide, ethnic cleansing (and) war crime against humanity.”
A number of videos posted on social media show reported attacks on members of the Gaza Solidarity Convoy. This sparked widespread outrage on social media, amid mounting accusations that “Egyptian authorities are obstructing international efforts to bring humanitarian aid meant for desperate Gazans to the Rafah crossing,” reported the New Arab news website.
The New Arab reported, “Footage circulated online shows activists near the city of Ismailia being assaulted by men described by observers as ‘thugs,’ attempting to prevent them from advancing towards Rafah. The videos have been widely condemned by pro-Palestine groups and rights advocates.”
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, had called for Egypt to block the convoy. In response, reported New Arab, the office of the Egyptian foreign ministry issued a statement, “urging international pressure on Israel to end the siege on Gaza, while insisting that foreign delegations must obtain prior authorization to travel to border areas.
The ministry outlined the formal procedure for requesting entry, including applications via Egyptian embassies or through diplomatic channels.”
Back in South Africa, head of the SA delegation, Basheerah Soomar, said in an interview on June 16 that roughly 50 South Africans were part of their Global March to Gaza.
And that their experience in Egypt had been an “unwelcoming one, as some had already found themselves being detained upon arrival at the airport,’” noted, iol.co.za, the website for IOL (Independent Online), a news website based in South Africa.
Egyptian human rights attorney Ragia Omran thinks Egypt could have managed the situation much better. “Egypt missed a chance to stand against the Gaza blockade by detaining peaceful civilians—doctors, students, even Nelson Mandela’s grandson—when it could have set conditions and let them through,” Omran said to dropsitenews.com.
Follow Jehron Muhammad @Africawatchfcn on X