the Egyptian Foreign Ministry commended the growing support for the Palestinian cause and noted that Cairo continues to work to halt the Israeli aggression and alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe that has befallen more than two million Palestinians in Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023.
Amid increasing international requests to visit the border areas adjacent to Gaza, including the city of Arish and the Rafah crossing, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stressed the "necessity of obtaining prior approval for such visits."
She explained that "the only way to organize these movements is by submitting official requests to Egyptian embassies abroad, through foreign embassies in Cairo, or through representatives of organizations to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
The statement noted that "Egypt had previously arranged visits for a number of foreign delegations, both governmental and from non-governmental human rights organizations," but emphasized the importance of "adhering to the regulatory controls put in place since the beginning of the war to ensure the security and safety of the delegations, given the sensitive security situation on the border."
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry affirmed that any visit request submitted not through the designated channels or that violates established regulations will not be considered. It also called on citizens of all countries to abide by Egyptian laws, including the requirement to obtain visas or prior permits to enter Egypt.
At the end of the statement, Egypt reiterated its "firm position in support of the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land and its categorical rejection of the ongoing Israeli violations of international and humanitarian law," calling on the international community to "exert real pressure on Israel to end the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and ensure the opening of all Israeli crossings and roads with the Strip."
Thousands of activists are scheduled to gather at Cairo Airport in Egypt on June 12 to participate in the march. They will depart from the city of Arish in Egypt on June 13, heading for a three-day march to the Rafah border crossing, where they will set up tents to demonstrate against the injustice suffered by Palestinians in Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with US support, has been waging a war of extermination in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the operation.
The genocide left more than 178,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and famine claimed the lives of many, including children.
