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Shocking moment Gaza aid activists are dragged away by masked men as Egypt deports volunteers attempting to cross border

Shocking moment Gaza aid activists are dragged away by masked men as Egypt deports volunteers attempting to cross border

Daily Mail​15-06-2025
Gaza aid activists were violently dragged and carried onto buses by balaclava-clad Egyptian authorities.
Footage shows authorities forcibly removing protesters from a sit-down demonstration at the Cairo border.
Large numbers of protesters were rounded-up onto buses and will be deported.
One protester, who spoke with an American accent, exclaimed: 'There's people in masks dragging people out.'
While others can be heard chanting: 'Free Palestine '.
Thousands of people have been arriving in the Egyptian capital since Thursday, with the intention of marching to the Rafah crossing in Gaza.
It is part of the Global March to Gaza - a protest against Israel 's aid blockade on Gaza.
Israel imposed a full 11-week humanitarian blockade on Gaza on March 2, cutting off food, medical supplies and other aid amid its ongoing conflict with the enclave.
Around 4,000 volunteers landed in Cairo, then taking buses to the city of Arish in the north of the country's Sinai Peninsula.
From there, they hoped to start their planned march, on a roughly 30-mile route, to the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza border.
But organisers said that several dozen activists were stopped on the edge of Cairo as they attempted to reach the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, which is around a three-hour drive from Arish.
A protester posted a video to social media while on a bus heading there, saying: 'This is an emergency.
'We have just been violently dragged into the buses here at the first checkpoint on the way to Ismailia.
'We were sitting quietly and not doing anything. We were debating that we would leave soon, in taxis back to Cairo because we did not break any law.
'And all of a sudden, several people stormed in and they started to push people and drag them violently outside.
'They have beaten people. I have seen one woman that was beaten in her face in front of me. They didn't leave time to grab the luggage or anything.
'So, this is one of the Secret Service people that was just walking in here. I have to stop this livestream now - we are in danger. This is an emergency. We need to help.'
Most of the activists were ordered onto buses back to the capital after several hours of questioning - but some remain in custody.
'We were blocked for six to seven hours before security forces violently dispersed our group,' one organiser said.
At least one activist was expelled from Egypt, several sources said, adding to dozens more denied entry or expelled in the run-up to the march.
Egyptian authorities have not commented on the reported expulsions.
The foreign ministry had warned that while Egypt backs efforts to put 'pressure on Israel' to lift its Gaza blockade, any foreign delegations intending to visit the border area must obtain prior permission.
Uzma Usmani, the sponsorship and logistics lead for the UK delegation of the march, explained to CNN: 'This is just another tool, another way [for] the people to raise their voices, to let governments know that we are not happy.
'We need to take things into our own hands, to raise awareness, to put pressure on all the different governments so that they start taking action.'
But in a statement on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said allowing the activists through the border would 'endanger the security of IDF soldiers'.
He added he expected Egypt 'to prevent the arrival of jihadist demonstrators to the border of Egypt-Israel and not to allow them to carry out provocations and to try to enter into Gaza'.
Egypt is in an awkward position in the Israel-Palestine conflict, as a key mediator between Hamas and Israel, also trying to prevent conflict spilling into its own territory.
It is also attempting to balance its ties with Israel and the United States with its own public condemnation of the war's brutal civilian impact on Gaza.
The Global March to Gaza action comes just days after Israel intercepted Madleen, an aid ship bound for Gaza carrying activist Greta Thunberg on board.
Thunberg, 22, was among 12 activists on board the ship, which hoped to 'break [Israel's] siege on the Gaza Strip' with a delivery of humanitarian aid.
Israel 'forcibly intercepted' the British-flagged vessel at 3.02am local time on June 9, some 100 miles from the coast of Gaza, the FFC said in a statement.
After diverting the boat to the port of Ashdod, Israel's foreign ministry posted a picture of the activists all in orange life jackets being offered water and sandwiches.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the crew were safe and unharmed, and would be taken to the Israeli Port of Ashdod where they would be shown a video of Hamas's October 7 atrocities.
Of the 12 people on board the Madleen carrying food and supplies for Gaza, eight were taken into custody after they refused to leave Israel voluntarily.
Four others, including Thunberg, were deported.
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Jordanian aid air drops start delivering food and essential supplies to starving Gazans after pressure on Israel for 'tactical pause' in fighting
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Daily Mail​

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  • Daily Mail​

Jordanian aid air drops start delivering food and essential supplies to starving Gazans after pressure on Israel for 'tactical pause' in fighting

Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday in their first airdrop in months, a Jordanian official said. The country has confirmed that it has carried out three airdrops over Gaza, including one in co-operation with the United Arab Emirates. An official said the air drops were not a substitute for delivery by land, as it is also sending in 60 trucks carrying essential food supplies, the country's state-run news agency reports - while Egypt is also delivering more aid by land. Two Jordanian C-130 planes and one United Arab Emirate aircraft were involved in the mission and targeted several locations within the embattled Gaza Strip. Jordanian state TV added that the latest delivery of aid brings the total number of airdrops by the nation to 127 since the start of the war in Gaza. Although some experts have questioned the practicality of airdrops to feed Gaza's approximately two million people. 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After ending the latest ceasefire in March, Israel cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies completely to Gaza for two and a half months, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May. Since then, it has allowed around 4,500 trucks for the UN and other aid groups in to distribute. The average of 69 trucks a day, however, is far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the UN says are needed for Gaza. The UN says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from its arriving trucks. As a way to divert aid delivery away from the UN, Israel has backed the US-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centres distributing boxes of food supplies. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near those new aid sites, the UN human rights office says. 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Protesters in Epping 'want their voices heard' and 'won't stop' until migrant hotel is closed as 'two tier' Starmer starts snooping on social posts
Protesters in Epping 'want their voices heard' and 'won't stop' until migrant hotel is closed as 'two tier' Starmer starts snooping on social posts

Daily Mail​

time15 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Protesters in Epping 'want their voices heard' and 'won't stop' until migrant hotel is closed as 'two tier' Starmer starts snooping on social posts

Hundreds of protesters have descended on a hotel at the centre of an anti-migrant storm as demonstrations continue to spread across the country. Over 1,000 are expected outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, amid a growing clamour for it to be closed after an Ethiopian asylum seeker staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a schoolgirl days after arriving in the UK. Police have thrown a huge ring of steel around the hotel, while officers from forces including Merseyside, Surrey, Lancashire, the City of London and Sussex have been drafted in to the market town support Essex Police. The force has faced questions over its handling of the protests after footage emerged of them escorting pro-migrant activists to the hotel on July 17 - something they initially denied doing. Over the weekend, angry crowds gathered in Norwich, Leeds, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Southampton and Nottinghamshire - with counter-protesters fighting back by insisting 'refugees are welcome'. The largest demonstration today is set to be at The Bell Hotel, where protesters - some draped in St George's flags - have gathered with large placards saying 'protect our kids' and 'stop the boats'. It comes as it was revealed an elite division of police officers will be assembled to monitor social media for signs of civil unrest - a move which critics argue is controlling free speech. While police will be monitoring what's being said online, officers are also being deployed on the streets. In Epping, protest organiser Sarah White, 40, said they would continue demos until the hotel closed. The mother-of-three said: 'We won't stop. Today is going to be a great opportunity for our voices to be heard. 'It's going to be great to get a message out that we don't want these hotels. It's shocking.' She also condemned those who wanted to 'cause trouble' and said it was hoped to be a 'strictly' peaceful but 'loud' protest. The business owner said: 'This is about sending a clear message that we don't want a hotel in our town housing undocumented men. 'It needs closing down. No area should have them. 'I'm very excited about today.' Mother Rose Thomas, 44, from Basildon, said she was 'excited' for the day. She said: 'There's already a strong message. We don't want the hotels full of men from foreign countries.' Maureen Chapman, 73, has lived in Epping for 50 years and said she felt 'under threat'. She said: 'I have grandchildren living locally. We want this closed and we won't stop until it is. 'It's shocking. I don't feel safe. We're under threat. 'These people moaning, would they want it at the end of their street?' The Epping protests have been sparked by the charging of asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, with sexual assault after he allegedly attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl. He denies the charges. The scenes in Epping have thrown the immigration debate back into the limelight, with demonstrations later held in Norfolk where the Home Office announced plans to change an asylum seeker hotel from housing families to single men. There have also been protests outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf which is set to be used to offer temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. A major protest is planned outside the four-star hotel in London's financial district again today. Protests against migrant hotels have escalated this weekend with tense stand–offs in Norwich, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Leeds on Saturday. The anti-migrant sentiment is being fuelled by far-right accounts on social media - and the Government has taken action by setting up an elite force to monitor posts. Detectives are set to be drawn from forces around the country as the Government scrambles to crack down on potential violence by flagging up early signs of civil unrest. 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The backlash to the plans has reignited anger over a judge's decision to jail Lucy Connolly, a mother-of-one who is married to a Conservative councillor, for 31 months over a racist tweet after the Southport murders. For today's protest, Essex Police have imposed restrictions to curb any violence or disorder, saying it is necessary and proportionate. The force said residents have reported feeling 'trapped', fearful of leaving their homes and anxious about protest activity. There will be a ban on anyone wearing face coverings and there will be designated sites opposite the hotel for protesters. A dispersal order will be in effect from 12pm on Sunday until 8am on Monday, covering Epping town centre and nearby transport hubs. The order gives officers the power to remove anyone suspected of anti-social behaviour. Hotel residents and staff have been advised to remain indoors after 5pm as some experienced verbal and physical harassment, including a resident chased and injured while returning to the hotel, the force added.

Donald Trump golfing in Scotland and a car show in Venice Beach: photos of the weekend
Donald Trump golfing in Scotland and a car show in Venice Beach: photos of the weekend

The Guardian

time16 hours ago

  • The Guardian

Donald Trump golfing in Scotland and a car show in Venice Beach: photos of the weekend

Thick smoke rises from Gaza after Israeli strikes, as seen from a position at Israel's border with the territory Photograph: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images Members of Egyptian Red Cross watch as trucks loaded with humanitarian aid cross the Rafah border gate that separates Egypt from Gaza Strip Photograph: EPA At the entrance of al-Bureij refugee camp Palestinians help others who were shot while seeking aid at a US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution point Photograph: Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images A protester joins demonstrators in support of Gaza at Hyde Park and the streets of the Central Business District Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP Donald Trump, the US president, is accompanied by his son Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Anderson for a round of golf at his Turnberry course in Scotland Photograph: Alastair Grant/AP A demonstrator clashes with police officers during a protest against gentrification Photograph: Henry Romero/Reuters A member of the emergency services surveys a wildfire near the north-eastern town of Bulqizë, which have been fanned by strong winds and high temperatures Photograph: Florion Goga/Reuters At a rally near the US embassy protesters carry a banner showing a caricature of Donald Trump as a robber in protest against the US president's tariff policies Photograph: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un visits a cemetery to mark the 72nd anniversary of the end of the Korean war, known in North Korea as the fatherland liberation war Photograph: KCNA/Reuters Participants release balloons during a ceremony held at the Alley of Angels memorial to commemorate children killed in the region Photograph: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters Revellers line-dance during the International Cowboy Day at Ngong race course. Country music has a loyal fan base in Kenya and the event, which featured performances from country artists, was celebrated by hundreds of people Photograph: Fredrik Lerneryd/AFP/Getty Images A customised 1961 Ford Thunderbird on display at the Dogtown Super Show, which takes place on Venice Beach's boardwalk, in California, each year Photograph: Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters Nature is starting to reclaim a bus depot where discontinued Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) mini-buses have been parked Photograph: Rafiq Maqbool/AP A cyclist taking part in Portland's World Naked Bike Ride crosses an intersection. The event hopes to raise awareness of oil dependency and body freedom Photograph: Jenny Kane/AP Joline the poodle meets his supporters at the end of the Wild Wild Woof, a country and western event that is part of Alberta's K-Days festival Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

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