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Al Jazeera
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Egypt, Libya stop activists gathering for March to Gaza, organisers say
Authorities in both Egypt and Libya have stopped activists seeking to break Israel's blockade on Gaza, protest organisers have said, with reports of more detentions and deportations taking place. 'Forty participants of the Global March to Gaza have had their passports taken at a checkpoint on the way out of Cairo,' the organisers of the Global March to Gaza said in a statement on Friday. 'They are being held in the heat and not allowed to move,' they continued, adding that another '15 are being held at hotels'. The activists are from France, Spain, Canada, Turkiye and the United Kingdom, it said, adding, 'We are a peaceful movement and we are complying with Egyptian law.' The group urged embassies to help secure their release so they could complete their voyage. Activists arrived in Egypt this week for the Global March to Gaza, a grassroots initiative aiming to pressure Israel to allow the delivery of aid and humanitarian supplies to Gaza's starving population. Organisers said that participants from 80 countries were set to begin their march towards Egypt's Rafah crossing with Gaza, with about 4,000 activists expected to take part. The overland protest was to coincide with other solidarity efforts, including a boat carrying aid and activists that was intercepted by the Israeli military earlier this week as it attempted to reach Gaza. According to plans outlined by organisers, participants were to travel by bus to El Arish, a city in the heavily securitised Sinai Peninsula, before walking the final 50km (30 miles) to Rafah. Protesters intended to camp near the border before returning to Cairo on June 19. However, Egyptian police stopped several groups of foreign nationals en route, forcing vehicles to pull over roughly 30km (20 miles) from Ismailia, just outside the Sinai. Activists said police ordered passengers with non-Egyptian passports to disembark, blocking their passage to Rafah. Paul Murphy, an independent Irish member of parliament, who has travelled to Egypt to take part, said in a post on X, 'We have had our passports confiscated and are being detained. It seems Egyptian authorities have decided to crack down on the Great March To Gaza.' Security sources told the Reuters news agency that at least 88 individuals had been detained or deported from Cairo airport and other locations across the country. Three airport sources told Reuters that at least 73 foreign nationals were deported on a flight to Istanbul for violating entry protocols, with about 100 more still awaiting deportation at the airport. Officials at Cairo International Airport said new directives were issued to airlines requiring all passengers travelling to Egypt between June 12 and 16 to hold confirmed return tickets, Reuters reported. Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that any visits to the Rafah border area must be coordinated in advance with Egyptian embassies or official bodies, citing security concerns in the Sinai. Organisers of the march maintain they coordinated the trip with authorities and called on the government to release those detained. Separately, a land convoy known as 'Soumoud', which had departed Tunisia carrying activists from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania, was stopped on Friday morning at the entrance to Sirte, a city in Libya under the control of forces loyal to military commander Khalifa Haftar. 'The caravan was barred from passing through at the entrance to the city of Sirte,' Tunisian organiser Wael Naouar said in a video posted on Facebook. Naouar said the convoy needs Egyptian authorisation to reach Gaza but had received mixed messages from local security officials. 'Some told us we could cross in a few hours. Others insisted that 'Egypt has denied [passage] and therefore you will not pass,'' he said. On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant ordered the military to block demonstrators from entering Gaza from Egypt, claiming people involved were 'jihadist protesters'. 'I expect the Egyptian authorities to prevent them from reaching the Egypt-Israel border and not allow them to carry out provocations and try to enter Gaza,' he added. It comes as Israel continues its relentless air strikes on Gaza, while severely restricting the flow of aid, including food, water, and medical supplies, as humanitarian experts warn that the enclave could fall into full-scale famine unless Israel lifts the blockade.
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Israeli strikes near aid site in the Gaza Strip kill 35, medics say – Middle East crisis live
Update: Date: 2025-06-11T07:53:14.000Z Title: Israeli strikes kill 35 in Gaza, many near an aid site, medics say Content: Israeli military strikes killed at least 35 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, most of them at an aid site operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in central Gaza, local health officials said. Medical officials at al-Shifa and al-Quds hospitals said at least 25 people were killed as they approached the aid site near Netzarim, and dozens were injured, reports Reuters. Ten other people were killed in other Israeli military strikes in Khan Younis in the south of the territory, medical officials added. The Israeli military had no immediate comment, according to Reuters. On Tuesday, when Gaza health officials said 17 people were killed near another GHF aid site in Rafah in southern Gaza, the army said it fired warning shots to distance 'suspects' who were approaching the troops and posed a threat. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday there had been 'significant progress' in efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, but that it was 'too soon' to raise hopes that a deal would be reached. Despite efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to restore a ceasefire in Gaza, neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to back down on core demands, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal. Two Hamas sources told Reuters they did not know about any new ceasefire offers. Here is a summary of other developments: Hamas has killed 50 fighters in recent months from a Palestinian gang armed by Israel in Gaza, according to a statement released amid reports that Israeli troops directly intervened this week to protect the faction. According to media reports in Israel, clashes between Hamas fighters and members of a militia led by Yasser abu Shabab, known locally for his involvement in criminal activity, erupted early on Tuesday in Rafah. Australia has joined the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Norway in placing financial sanctions and travel bans on two Israeli government ministers, over what Penny Wong described as 'inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank'. The Magnitsky-style sanctions on Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, were in response to serious human rights violations and abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, including Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law, the governments said in a joint statement. The US has condemned the UK's decision to sanction two Ben-Gvir and Smotrich over 'egregious abuses' of human rights in Gaza. Donald Trump's secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the travel ban and asset freeze imposed on the two Israeli ministers 'do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire' and called for the measures to be reversed. The US also decried Australia's decision to sanction Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. Israel deported activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military. Speaking upon arrival in Paris en route to her home country of Sweden, Thunberg called for the release of the other activists who were detained on the Madleen. She described a 'quite chaotic and uncertain' situation during the detention. Israel's navy attacked docks in Yemen's rebel-held port city of Hodeida on Tuesday, launching its first seaborne assault against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels while warning more could come. The attack on Hodeida likely damaged facilities that are key to aid shipments, but also have allegedly been used for weapons smuggling as vessels reportedly bypass United Nations inspectors.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Greta Thunberg DEPORTED by Israel after ‘Freedom Flotilla' Gaza stunt as she's loaded on plane & sent to France
GRETA Thunberg is being deported after Israel detained her along with other activists on board the "Freedom Flotilla" stunt ship. Israel's foreign ministry shared a photo of Thunberg on a plane, saying she was headed for France. 2 2 Thunberg, 22, was one of 12 passengers on board the British-flagged Madleen - a boat carrying aid destined for people in war-torn Gaza. The Swedish eco warrior was taken to dry land yesterday after Israeli authorities seized the yacht. Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing Thunberg and the other activists, said Thunberg, two other activists and a journalist had agreed to be deported and leave Israel. Other activists refused deportation, were being held in detention, and their case was set to be heard by Israeli authorities. Israel accused the group who were aboard the boat of supporting Hamas terrorists who detonated Middle East mayhem by massacring 1,200 and kidnapping 251 hostages. The activists said they were protesting the ongoing war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel says such ships violate its naval blockade of Gaza.
Irish Times
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘It's much bigger than football' - Sligo Rovers coach prisoners
The Taoiseach has said that UN agencies should be "enabled and allowed" to distribute food aid in Gaza amid ongoing deaths at aid centres. Video: Bryan O'Brien
The National
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Aid ship reaches Israel after thwarted voyage to Gaza
An aid ship denied entry to Gaza was towed to Israel late on Monday, after the yacht carrying activists including Greta Thunberg was boarded by Israeli troops. The ship Madleen entered the port of Ashdod under escort by Israel's navy, in its first sighting since the Israeli military took command early on Monday. Organisers of the so-called Freedom Flotilla had tried in vain throughout the day to reach the 12 crew members, whom Israel said were unharmed. "Upon arrival, arrangements will be made for their return to their respective home countries," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said. The activists were expected to be held at a detention facility in the Israeli city of Ramle before being deported, according to Adalah, a legal rights group representing the activists. The yacht was carrying a small amount of humanitarian aid, including rice, baby formula and medical supplies, in a symbolic voyage in protest at Israel's blockade of Gaza. Crew members say they are unarmed civilians who pose no threat. Organisers said on Monday afternoon they had no contact with the 12 crew members on board, and do not know their whereabouts. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said lawyers had "repeatedly contacted Israeli military officials" but received no response since the early hours of the morning. "According to the Israeli Immigration Authority, they are not yet in custody," a statement said. Israel said the yacht was still on its way to shore. The Foreign Ministry said the humanitarian aid on board would be taken to Gaza. "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," it wrote. "The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," Israel's Foreign Ministry earlier wrote on X. All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry added. "They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over." Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the vessel from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. A previous yacht, Conscience, attempted the same voyage in May until it was halted by a drone strike that organisers blamed on Israel. The mission comes amid growing outrage at Israel for blockading aid entry into Gaza for 11 weeks. As well as Ms Thunberg, the crew of the Freedom Flotilla includes French politician Rima Hassan, who is of Palestinian descent, and other volunteerefrom Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Brazil. Gaza Freedom Flotilla, the activist group operating the vessel, posted on Telegram on Sunday night that it had been intercepted. "Connection has been lost on the Madleen," it wrote. "Israeli army have boarded the vessel." Mr Katz said he instructed the military to show the activists videos from the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel carried out by Hamas. "It is appropriate that the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas supporters see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organisation is they came to support and for whom they are working," he said. The yacht Madleen is named after a Gazan fisherwoman, according to the activist organisation, which says the flotilla is "carrying a cargo of hope and humanitarian aid". Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said she had lost contact with the vessel. 'I heard the soldiers speaking while the captain was on the phone with me,' she posted on X. 'I lost connection with the captain as he was telling me that 'another boat is approaching'.' The vessel was carrying several Turkish citizens, including Suayb Ordu, an activist who has been involved in Palestine advocacy for years. Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Israel's intervention was a "clear violation of international law". "This heinous act by the [Benjamin] Netanyahu government, which threatens freedom of navigation and maritime security, once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state," it said. "Israel's aggressive and unlawful actions will not silence the voices that stand up for human dignity and universal values." France said it would work to ensure the rapid return home of French citizens aboard the boat. Spain's Foreign Ministry summoned Israel's top diplomat in Madrid to protest the intervention, local media reported. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the Israeli interception of the vessel, calling it a "form of piracy". Tunisian convoy In a separate effort, hundreds of people on Monday launched a land convoy from Tunisia bound for Gaza, with which activists similarly aim to "break the siege" on the territory. Organisers said the nine-bus convoy was not bringing aid into Gaza but aimed at carrying out a "symbolic act" in support of Gaza. The "Soumoud" convoy, meaning "steadfastness" in Arabic, includes doctors and aims to arrive in Rafah, in southern Gaza, by the end of the week. It is set to pass through Libya and Egypt, although Cairo has yet to provide passage permits. The Rafah border crossing has been closed since Israel seized control of it last May. "Egypt has not yet given us permission to cross its borders, but we will see what happens when we get there," activist Jawaher Channa told AFP. She said the convoy was not expected to face issues crossing Libya "whose people have historically supported the Palestinian cause". Algerian, Mauretanian, Moroccan and Libyan activists were also among the group, which is set to travel along the Tunisian and Libyan coasts before continuing on to Rafah through Egypt.
