Egypt - June 2025

In June, authorities carried out mass detentions and deportations, forcibly dispersing the ‘Global March to Gaza,’ a transnational solidarity campaign involving over 4,000 participants from more than 80 countries. The group aimed to travel from Arish in North Sinai to the Rafah border crossing, the only gateway between Egypt and Gaza, to protest Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza. More than 200 participants were detained or interrogated upon arrival at Cairo International Airport or at their hotels, with many subsequently deported. Others were intercepted near Ismailia, where buses and convoys were stopped and dispersed. Egyptian nationals participating in or expressing solidarity with the marchers were also arrested. Rights groups reported abuses by the authorities, including beatings, electric shocks and denial of consular access.

Sources: Mada Masr (1), Mada Masr (2), Haaretz, Committee for Justice, Amnesty International, Middle East Eye