EGYPTIAN authorities have detained more than 100 people taking part in a planned peaceful march to Gaza, prompting organisers today to suggest supporters contact their embassies and raise safety issues.

Thousands of people began arriving in the Egyptian capital Cairo this week hoping to join activist group Global March to Gaza, which aims to peacefully trek to Rafah. Participants would walk from Cairo to El Arish on Friday, then cross the border and arrive in Rafah on Sunday.

The group has been registering participants for months in a display of solidarity with Gazans and to protest against Israel’s genocide as well as seeming indifference from most world governments.

The organisers also hope to break Israel’s illegal blockade of the strip, which is on the brink of famine, by delivering desperately needed humanitarian aid.

Global March to Gaza’s organisers began receiving reports on Wednesday that authorities were arresting and returning hundreds of their participants.

”We urge the Egyptian authorities to release all detained individuals and allow the entrance of march participants,” the group said on social media that day.

Their planned action is ”in line with Egypt’s own stated interest in seeing an end to the blockade and restoring stability at its border.

”Egypt has repeatedly expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the unsustainable conditions at the Rafah crossing.

”Supporting this global, peaceful movement would reinforce Egypt’s position as a key actor in pushing for humanitarian access.”

Global March to Gaza shared video footage today from Dutch filmmaker Laleh Almarjani who arrived in Cairo with other hopeful marchers on Wednesday from Amsterdam, only to be surrounded by Egyptian soldiers, pushed around and deported.

Despite the crackdown, the group says its march will go ahead on Sunday, and that its legal teams are working with those detained.

”What you can do? Call your local Egyptian embassy today,” the group told its followers. 

”Ask them to ensure the safety of detained march participants, respect the right to peaceful assembly [and] allow the march to continue.”

The Sumoud convoy, another group planning on reaching Gaza via Egypt and made up of Tunisian and Algerian activists, has amassed hundreds of vehicles and well over 1,000 people. They reached Zawiya city today and are planning to head to Cairo next.

Meanwhile, the Israeli government said it had deported six more of the activists who tried to break its illegal blockade of Gaza this week by delivering humanitarian aid aboard their ship, the Madleen.

Mark Van Rennes, one of the activists sent home today, said: ”The governments of the world failed to provide safe passage to the Madleen, to allow humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, who have been facing ethnic cleansing for 80 years and an illegal blockade for 18 years.

”To prevent ongoing Israeli war crimes, they must immediately step up, oppose the apartheid regime of Israel and provide safe passage to the Sumoud convoy in Egypt.

”The time to act is now. Free Palestine!”