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Thousands of human rights activists, doctors, students, artists, and unionists from across continents are mobilizing for the Global March to Gaza, determined to break the Israeli-imposed siege and deliver aid to the war-ravaged and starved people of Gaza.
Organized by the International Coalition Against the Israeli Occupation, the march represents a worldwide cry for justice amid one of the most catastrophic humanitarian crises of the century. Over 54,000 Palestinians—the majority women and children—have been killed since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, with more than 2.3 million people now facing starvation and disease following Israel’s total blockade of Gaza on March 2.
"This is no longer about borders. This is about humanity," said Saif Abukeshek, the Palestinian coordinator of the Global March. “Either we act now or history will record our silence as complicity.”
A Civilian March for Humanity
More than 150 NGOs and movements from 36 countries have endorsed the land march, with participants preparing to gather in Cairo before walking through the Sinai Peninsula toward the Rafah crossing from 12 to 20 June. The key demonstration will take place on 15 June, followed by rallies, vigils, and press conferences to demand the end of Israel’s siege and the opening of a humanitarian corridor.
The organizing team includes an international array of voices: Dr. Catherine Le Scolan-Quéré from France, Swiss physician Regula Grabherr-Fawzi, Mexican professor Patricia Luevano, South African MP Zwelivelile Mandela, and others representing the shared outrage of a morally awake global public.
Parallel Resistance at Sea: The Madleen Sets Sail
Meanwhile, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has relaunched its maritime challenge. On June 1, the vessel Madleen departed Catania, Sicily, carrying humanitarian aid—flour, baby formula, prosthetics, and water filters—and 12 international peace activists committed to nonviolence. Among them are Swedish climate icon Greta Thunberg, French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan, and activists from Türkiye, Brazil, Spain, and France.
"We are unarmed. Our mission is humanitarian. But our determination is unshakable," the FFC said in a statement. The group continues its mission despite previous attacks, including a drone strike on its ship Conscience in May and the deadly 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara.
Despite warnings from the Israeli military, international legal experts have reiterated that the flotilla’s peaceful mission is protected under international law. "The right of Palestinians to receive aid through their own waters must be upheld," a group of UN human rights experts stated, calling on Israel not to obstruct the vessel’s path.
Tunisia’s Convoy and Continental Mobilization
Support is swelling on other fronts. In Tunisia, the grassroots convoy Somoud—backed by labor unions, student groups, and civil society—is preparing to depart on June 9 with thousands ready to march toward Rafah. The campaign has already registered over 7,000 participants, including football ultras and frontline medics.
“We believe this siege can be broken,” said Abukeshek. “And if not this time, then the next. We will not stop.”
Global Outcry for Accountability
The movement’s demands are unmistakable: an end to the genocide in Gaza, the lifting of the 17-year blockade, the immediate reopening of the Rafah crossing, unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, and international legal accountability for war crimes.
These calls echo the growing global outcry as the Israeli military continues its scorched-earth campaign in Gaza with the full backing of the United States. At least 102 Palestinians have been killed and 490 wounded in the past eight days alone while trying to access food from US-Israeli-run aid distribution points, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Even the Rafah crossing, long regarded as a humanitarian lifeline, remains under siege, with Egyptian authorities yet to issue permits for the Global March protesters to advance.
“We’ve made our case clearly to the Egyptian authorities,” said Dr. Huseyin Durmaz of the International Health Initiative. “This is a peaceful, lawful, urgent humanitarian action. Permission must be granted.”
The Moral Tipping Point
This mobilization marks a new phase in the global movement for Palestinian liberation. No longer confined to symbolic protests or social media campaigns, international citizens are physically placing their bodies on the front lines of Gaza’s blockade.
From the dusty roads of Sinai to the waves of the Mediterranean, from Tunis to Toronto, Berlin to Buenos Aires, people of conscience are rising.
“What did you do when you saw a genocide unfolding before your eyes?” Abukeshek asked. “This march is our answer.”
End the siege. End the genocide. Let Gaza live. (ILKHA)
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