A scene showing a Welsh nurse pleading with Egyptian armed guards to open the gate to Rafah has resonated globally, as Egyptian authorities blocked activists from proceeding with a march to the Gaza border intended to highlight Israel’s blockade of the conflict-stricken Palestinian territory.
According to organizers, several dozen activists attempting to join the planned Global March to Gaza were stopped on the outskirts of Cairo as they tried to reach the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya.
A Welsh humanitarian nurse is seen pleading urgently with Egyptian guards at the Rafah crossing. He speaks not only as a medical professional, but as a witness to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
“I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” he says. “Children are dying. People are starving. Let us through.”
His plea reflects the growing international demand for humanitarian access to Gaza.
Activists arrived in Egypt this week to participate in the Global March to Gaza, a grassroots campaign designed to pressure Israel to permit the delivery of aid and essential supplies to Gaza’s increasingly desperate population.
Organizers reported that participants from 80 countries were expected to march toward Egypt’s Rafah crossing, with approximately 4,000 activists anticipated to take part, however, Egyptian authorities stopped activists gathering for March to Gaza. Security sources said dozens had been detained or deported from Cairo airport and other locations.
The overland demonstration was planned to coincide with other acts of solidarity, including an aid boat carrying supplies and activists that was intercepted by the Israeli military earlier this week while attempting to reach Gaza.
