Solidarity convoys heading to Gaza are being met with detentions, blocked roads and strict entry restrictions by Egyptian authorities, despite Cairo’s claims of support for the Palestinian cause.
On Tuesday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a formal statement confirming that all foreign delegations seeking to reach the Rafah border must now obtain “prior approval” through official channels.
It added that requests must be submitted via Egyptian embassies abroad or through diplomatic missions inside Cairo. “No requests will be considered, nor will any invitations received outside the framework defined by the regulatory controls and mechanisms in place in this regard,” the statement said.
Egypt further claimed the process is designed to ensure “coordination with relevant Egyptian authorities to determine the nature and objectives of the visit and the identities of participants,” warning it “will not allow any attempt to circumvent the rules or to exploit the circumstances to achieve purposes unrelated to humanitarian support.”
Several activists have already been detained in Cairo, including members of the Sumoud Convoy and the Global March to Gaza, two separate but coordinated initiatives aiming to bring aid and attention to the besieged enclave.
Among those detained are Algerian nationals Mustafawi Samir, Mohamed Atif Briki and Abbas Abdelnour, all part of a legal delegation hoping to join the Global March.
Algerian activist Fatiha Rouibi confirmed that the men’s phones, passports and official documents were taken by Egyptian authorities without charge.
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“They have not broken any laws,” she said. “Their presence in Cairo was for peaceful, legal purposes. These detentions are unjust and shameful.”
The global march to Gaza, which includes participants from the UK, France, Malaysia and Turkey, also reported that some members have been deported without explanation. Others remain stranded in hotels across Cairo, blocked from moving eastward.
Israeli pressure
As convoys inch closer to the Sinai, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz publicly called on Egypt to block them entirely.
He labelled participants as “jihadist protesters” and said Israel would not tolerate any attempts to cross into Gaza.
“I expect Egyptian authorities to prevent the arrival of jihadist protesters to the Egyptian-Israel border,” Katz said.
“They must not allow provocations that would endanger the security of IDF soldiers.”
Convoy organisers condemned the remarks as inflammatory and baseless: “these are teachers, medics, lawyers and volunteers,” one said.
“Trying to paint this as a security threat is a desperate attempt to deflect from what’s happening in Gaza.”
The Global March to Gaza responded with a statement demanding the immediate release of all detainees and unrestricted access to Rafah.
“We are calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained lawyers and delegation members,” the group said.
“We also demand that all international delegations, including the Global March, be allowed to travel safely to Rafah without interference from the Egyptian state.”
It added: “These attacks on peaceful delegations only strengthen our resolve to expose the complicity of governments in the starvation and mass killing of Palestinians.”
Egyptian complicity
Despite Egypt’s claims of supporting the Palestinian cause, convoy members describe being harassed, blocked and detained.
Security forces have established checkpoints across the Sinai, and those attempting to approach Rafah without “top-level clearance” have been turned back or held for hours.
“We’ve seen more repression from Egyptian police than support,” said one UK organiser. “It’s disappointing but not surprising”.
Several participants say Egypt has effectively turned Rafah into a sealed gate, mirroring Israel’s own control over other crossings. “This isn’t neutrality,” one volunteer said. “This is complicity.”
Since the war began in October 2023, over 55,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. The Rafah crossing — Gaza’s only exit not controlled by Israel — has remained largely shut, with humanitarian aid convoys backed up for months.
Egypt has positioned itself as a key mediator and humanitarian actor in the conflict, but rights groups say its actions tell a different story.
British advocacy group CAGE called for legal scrutiny into Egypt’s role in the siege, accusing Cairo of being “part of the machinery sustaining the blockade,” alongside Israel and the United States.
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Egypt has been criticised for suppressing certain Palestinian political groups, especially Hamas, which has ideological ties to the Muslim Brotherhood — a group banned in Egypt.
This has sometimes led to arrests, harassment, and limiting political activities of Palestinians in Egypt or those trying to cross through Egypt.
Palestinian refugees in Egypt often face restrictive residency and work permit policies, limited access to services, and social discrimination, which exacerbates their hardships.
The Global March to Gaza, supported by over 80 countries, includes lawyers, doctors, students and artists, many of whom travelled at their own expense to join.
They insist this is not a political stunt but a global response to forced starvation, bombardment and displacement.
At the time of publication, convoys from Libya and Jordan are still awaiting clearance to approach Egypt’s borders.
Whether Cairo will soften its stance remains unclear. For now, the road to Rafah remains blocked — not just for Palestinians trying to flee, but for the world trying to reach them.
