Cairo (dpa -AfX) – Before a planned protest march towards the border crossing Rafah to the Gaza Strip, Egypt has asked the activists to obtain official permits. Corresponding applications for Egyptian messages abroad, about foreign representations in Cairo or via organizations would have to be submitted directly to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry said in Cairo.
Since the beginning of the Gaza War, stipulated procedures for access to the border region have been in effect.
The announcement said: “Egypt welcomes the regional and international solidarity – both on an official and civil society level – with the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the rejection of siege, admiration and the obvious and systematic injuries by Israel in the gaza strip.”
In the meantime, according to Egyptian security circles, more than 100 activists were arrested by the authorities when they arrived in Egypt. Among them are 52 Frenchmen, 67 Algerians, 13 Moroccans and 8 Libyans.
The Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz asked Egypt to prevent the activists from reaching the border to the Gaza Strip and penetrating into the Palestinian area. This would endanger the safety of the Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip, which would not be allowed, Katz said in a statement. The Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing is currently controlled by the Israeli army.
Several hundred activists have been traveling from Tunisia via Libya in the direction of Egypt since Monday. According to their own statements, they want to draw attention to the humanitarian emergency in the Gaza Strip at the Rafah border crossing and protest against Israel’s attacks. It is planned that on Friday you will walk around 50 kilometers on foot to the Rafah border crossing from the Al-Arisch coastal town. There they want to demonstrate for several days from Sunday ./arj/dp/zb