Over 10,000 join global solidarity march for Gaza to demand end to blockade
A global solidarity march for Gaza, involving over 10,000 participants from 32 countries, began on Sunday to challenge 'Israel’s' blockade of the enclave and demand an end to the ongoing war.
Organized by the Global March to Gaza coalition, the campaign seeks to deliver humanitarian aid and show worldwide support for Palestinians facing genocide.
The marchers, hailing from Europe, North and South America, and several Arab and Asian nations, will convene in Cairo on June 12 before heading to al-Arish in northeastern Egypt. From there, they plan to march on foot to the Rafah border crossing, where protest tents will be set up, pending approval from Egyptian authorities, who remain cautious about public demonstrations.
The Algerian "Caravan of Steadfastness" was among the first to mobilize, departing Algiers on Sunday to join a Tunisian convoy. Carrying Palestinian and Tunisian flags, the group crossed into Libya via the Ras Jadir border and will travel through Tripoli, Misrata, Sirte, Benghazi, and Tobruk, aiming to reach Egypt’s Salloum crossing on June 12 and Rafah by June 15.
This unprecedented convoy includes dozens of buses and vehicles with over 1,500 participants from Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, and Libya.
In Tunisia, hundreds of activists gathered in Tunis at 4:00 AM on Monday to finalize logistics, setting off at 8:30 AM through Sousse, Sfax, Gabes, and Medenine. The Tunisian Coordination for Joint Action for Palestine confirmed the convoy’s mission to deliver aid and demand an end to Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.
Led by over 150 NGOs and Saif Abu Kashk, the Global March to Gaza includes participants over 21, from journalists and doctors to social activists and lawyers. The group will rally in Cairo on June 12, travel to al-Arish, and march to Rafah on June 13, with protests planned for June 14 and a mass demonstration on June 15.
They intend to camp near the crossing until June 20, though Egyptian approval is uncertain due to increased military presence in Sinai and Cairo’s strict policy against unauthorized border crossings.
In Morocco, Abdelhafid Sriti of the National Action Group for Palestine said participants would fly to Cairo before joining the land convoy to Rafah. “We aim to pressure Israel to open the crossings and stop the genocide,” Sriti told Anadolu Agency, noting Morocco’s ongoing protests since October 7 in support of Palestinian resistance.
He condemned 'Israel’s' US-backed siege for causing famine and disease, calling it an “unprecedented crime” needing urgent international action.
This march comes just days after the Freedom Flotilla, another initiative to break the Gaza blockade, was intercepted in international waters. Activists on board were either deported or detained, highlighting the challenges faced by those attempting to deliver aid and draw attention to the crisis in Gaza.
