Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz called on Egypt on Wednesday to prevent activists from reaching Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip and entering the Palestinian territory, as Egyptian authorities said they would require the activists to have an entry permit.
Katz, in a statement, said letting the activists into Gaza would endanger the safety of Israeli troops there and would not be allowed. The Israeli army currently controls the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing.
Earlier, Egyptian authorities called on activists to obtain official permits on their journey from Tunisia to the border with Gaza in solidarity with Palestinian civilians. Some 1,700 activists have set off from Tunis in buses and cars, according to the state news agency TAP, including around 200 from Algeria.
They hope to travel through Libya and Egypt to reach the Rafah crossing with Gaza to protest Israel’s conduct in the war.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in Cairo that the activists must submit applications through Egyptian embassies abroad, through foreign missions in Cairo or directly through organizations.
“Visits to the border region must comply with strict regulations and prior coordination through official channels. Requests should be submitted in advance,” the ministry said in a statement.
It added that Egypt emphasizes that any delegation that bypasses these protocols will not be allowed entry.
An Egyptian security source said that more than 100 activists were arrested by authorities upon their arrival in the country.
Among them were 52 French, 67 Algerian, 13 Moroccan and 8 Libyan nationals.
The convoy has travelled through several cities in Tunisia and from there into neighbouring Libya. It will continue along the Mediterranean coast to Egypt and finally to Rafah.
Ahmed Ghniyah, western coordinator of the “Convoy of Steadfastness,” reported receiving around 400 requests from Libyan volunteers eager to join the aid convoy as it passes through the country.
The activists say they want to use the convoy to draw attention to the humanitarian emergency in the Gaza Strip and protest against Israel’s attacks.
The plan was for them to walk about 50 kilometers from the coastal town of Al-Arish to the Rafah border crossing on Friday. They plan to demonstrate there for several days starting on Sunday.
A participant in the ”Convoy of Resilience”, holds the Palestinian Flag. The Sumud convoy consists of civil society volunteers departing from Tunis to Gaza through Libya and Egypt in an attempt to break Israel’s siege. Hasan Mrad/IMAGESLIVE via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa