Global March to Gaza activists faced beatings and abductions

The US-backed Egyptian dictatorship has done Israel’s dirty work for it, beating and abducting activists on the Global March to Gaza.

Israel’s unprovoked attack on Iran has served as a distraction from increasing international outrage over the ongoing US-Israeli genocide in Gaza. But in recent days, activists tried to reach the occupied Palestinian territory by land. And Egypt’s regime obediently responded by attacking them.

The march has now announced it will not continue. But Egyptian authorities have reportedly kept up their aggression on behalf of US-Israeli war criminals.

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— Onka (@onka3) June 17, 2025

“Repression, detention, and abuse”

In a press release, the Global March to Gaza has stated that:

We are deeply concerned by the continued escalation of unlawful detentions targeting individuals associated with our peaceful mission. Despite our coordination with Egyptian authorities, respect for local and regional laws, and official announcement that we are no longer planning actions in Egypt, Egyptian authorities have intensified their repression, detention, and abuse of our marchers.

It explained that:

In recent days, plainclothes officers, often failing to identify themselves, have forcibly removed participants from hotel rooms, cafés, shops, and the streets, without cause or explanation. Yesterday at approximately 4:30 p.m., three individuals were abducted by secret police while sitting at a café in Cairo. Those taken include international humanitarians: Jonas Selhi (Norway), Huthayfa Abuserriya (Norway), and Saif Abukeshek (Spain/Palestine). All three were blindfolded, handcuffed, interrogated, and brutally beaten.

Egypt later deported Selhi and Abuserriya.

Selhi revealed that Abukeshek:

was singled out for especially severe abuse. His current whereabouts are still unknown.

The Global March to Gaza urged people throughout the world:

to take action by calling the Egyptian embassy in your country today and demanding the release of those detained who were participating in the Global March to Gaza and the safe passage of those attempting to peacefully leave the country.

Israel’s genocidal slaughter continues in Gaza

On 17 June, meanwhile, yet another Israeli massacre of people in Gaza took place. As Al Jazeera reported, “aid seekers gathered at points leading to a recently established point for aid distribution by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)” (the highly controversial US-Israeli ‘death trap‘ organisation). There, it continued:

Witnesses said they had gone to collect food aid but were met with live ammunition and drone attacks without any kind of warning.

The Israeli attack killed 51 people.

This latest massacre adds yet more evidence to the global scholarly consensus that Israel has been committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.