Egyptian authorities have deported dozens of foreign nationals who arrived in Egypt to take part in a pro-Palestinian march and dozens more face deportation, according to the organisers, as well as airport and security sources.
Hundreds of people came to Egypt this week for the Global March to Gaza, an international initiative intended to exert pressure for an end to an Israeli blockade of the Palestinian enclave and draw attention to the humanitarian crisis there.
Organisers said people from 80 countries were set to begin the march to Egypt's Rafah Crossing with Gaza tomorrow, which is about 48km, and confirmed some had been deported or were detained at the airport.
Three airport sources said at least 73 foreign nationals had been deported on a flight to Istanbul, after authorities said they violated entry protocols, and that about 100 more were at the airport awaiting deportation.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
It had earlier said visits to the Rafah border region must be coordinated in advance with Egyptian embassies or government entities, and underlined the need to follow official procedures to ensure safety and security.
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The organisers said in a statement late last night they had complied with all the stated requirements.
"In the two months leading up to the march, organisers coordinated directly with Egyptian embassies in over 15 countries and with the Foreign Ministry to ensure transparency at every stage," the organisers said, urging Egypt to free all those who had been detained.
Israel's defence minister told the Israeli military to prevent demonstrators entering Gaza from Egypt, and said the march was a threat to Israeli and regional security.
Egyptian officials have said the Rafah crossing is closed by Israel on the Gaza side and want international pressure applied on Israel to open it to allow in aid.
Irish woman describes situation at Cairo Airport
A young Irish woman caught up in the detentions has described her experiences after arriving in Cairo this morning.
She said she was pulled aside without explanation at the final security barrier before exiting Cairo International Airport.
She said her bags were searched and she was questioned about flags or protest materials, none of which, she said, she had.
After spending time in a holding area, the woman said she was then grouped together with three other passengers who she did not know and was detained.
Authorities then confiscated phones and passports, searched them and denied any communication, she said.
She said she received no food, aside from a piece of bread which was given to her by a security guard after about eight hours.
The woman was eventually escorted to a departure gate later this morning where her passport was handed over to Turkish Airlines crew and her phone returned to her on the condition she did not contact the Irish embassy, she said.
The woman described the experiences as "one of the most disturbing and disorienting experiences" of her life.
However, she stressed that what she experienced in the airport was incomparable to the starvation endured by Palestinians in Gaza.
She said she thinks the march on Gaza and the detentions will contribute to applying pressure internationally for action to be taken.
