'Baltagiya thugs' and police block Gaza aid convoy in Egypt as activists detained

Videos of attacks on members of the Gaza Solidarity Convoy in Egypt have sparked widespread outrage on social media, amid mounting accusations that Egyptian authorities are obstructing international efforts to bring humanitarian aid meant for desperate Gazans to the Rafah crossing.

Footage circulated online shows activists near the city of Ismailia being assaulted by men described by observers as "thugs", attempting to prevent them from advancing towards Rafah. The videos have been widely condemned by pro-Palestine groups and rights advocates.

The "thugs" in question are believed to be baltagiya, gangs previously used by the Egyptian government to attack its political opponents, though this could not be verified. 

In recent days, Egyptian media figures and commentators closely aligned with the regime of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have openly criticised the land-based convoy.

The convoy, made up of international and regional activists, is expected to arrive in Cairo on Thursday and reach the Egyptian side of Rafah on Sunday.

Egyptian broadcaster Ahmed Moussa, a vocal supporter of the regime, described the convoy as a "trap" intended to embarrass Egypt.

Writing on X, he claimed the activists aimed to create a crisis regardless of whether Egypt allowed them to proceed or blocked their entry. "The goal is to embarrass Egypt, not Israel," he wrote, questioning whether the convoy was a genuine humanitarian mission or a "media stunt".

Moussa warned that if Israeli forces refused to allow the convoy to cross into Gaza, as happened recently with the aid ship Madleen, the activists might refuse to leave and instead provoke tensions along the Egypt-Gaza border.

Egyptian authorities have also detained hundreds of foreign activists who arrived at Cairo International Airport to participate in the initiative, known as the Global March to Gaza.

According to spokesperson Seif Abu Kishk, over 200 participants have been detained so far. Detainees reportedly include citizens of the United States, Australia, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Morocco and Algeria.

Videos shared by activists show Turkish nationals being held before being deported. Other footage appears to show Egyptian officers in civilian clothing confiscating passports from groups of foreign solidarity activists. Among those detained are said to be three Jordanian women, including journalist Hadeel al-Dasouqi.

In one high profile case, Irish MP Paul Murphy, a member of the People Before Profit party, was detained as part of the convoy and was sent to Cairo to be deported. In a video message posted to social media, Murphy says Egyptian authorities confiscated his phone and acted violently. 

"I'm ok, but they still have my phone," Murphy said on Facebook.

"Egyptian police say we're going to airport but this isn't the road we came on because there are 1000s of marchers on the streets. They're taking us south past a lake, then west towards Cairo.

"Violence got worse after they seized my phone.

"One American woman in my group was badly kicked & beaten, and had her hijab torn off."

Participants have expressed anger over the Egyptian response, saying their peaceful support for Gaza should not be treated as a criminal offence. The convoy had publicly announced its intention to reach the Rafah crossing and demand entry for humanitarian aid into Gaza, as well as an end to the blockade.

The convoy is currently in Libya and is expected to reach the Egyptian border on Friday.

Meanwhile, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has called on Egypt to block the convoy, describing the participants as "jihadist protesters" and warning that any attempt to enter Gaza would be considered a dangerous provocation.

In response, Egypt's foreign ministry issued a statement urging international pressure on Israel to end the siege on Gaza, while insisting that foreign delegations must obtain prior authorisation to travel to border areas. The ministry outlined the formal procedure for requesting entry, including applications via Egyptian embassies or through diplomatic channels.

Abu Kishk rejected the Egyptian explanation, saying the convoy organisers had submitted more than 50 formal requests but received no response.