As a global solidarity march to break Israel's siege on Gaza gathers momentum, a Moroccan delegation remains grounded, awaiting the green light from Cairo.
The National Action Group for Palestine, a prominent pro-Palestinian coalition in Morocco, announced on Wednesday that it had begun logistical preparations to ensure Moroccan participation in the "Global March to Gaza," a cross-border initiative aimed at challenging the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian enclave.
A convoy from Tunisia, crossing through Libya and Egypt, is expected to begin its journey on 9 June, despite unresolved logistical issues still under discussion.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Flotilla's Madleen, a solidarity boat carrying twelve activists, has already departed from Italy—weeks after being targeted by an Israeli drone. The vessel remains under constant surveillance, often encircled at night by drones.
However, for Moroccan participants, the journey hinges on Egyptian approval. The group says the route passes through military zones near the Rafah crossing, areas off-limits to travellers on standard tourist visas.
At a press conference in Rabat, Abdelhafid Sriti, the group's national coordinator, said organisers had contacted the Egyptian embassy, requesting a meeting with the ambassador to expedite travel permissions. Egyptian authorities promised them a "response to be communicated soon." Despite repeated follow-ups, there are no updates yet.
The New Arab reached out to the Egyptian embassy in Rabat for comment, but no representative was available at the time of publication.
In parallel, the group has submitted a formal appeal to Morocco's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urging it to coordinate with Egyptian authorities to ease the delegation's entry.
"We're hopeful that the Egyptian ambassador in Rabat and Moroccan diplomats will help open the road for this important act of solidarity," Sriti said.
The itinerary is both financially and physically demanding.
The Moroccan delegation is scheduled to land in Cairo on 12 June, spend the night in a hotel, then travel by bus to Al-Arish on 13 June.
From there, the final leg to Rafah is to be completed on foot, starting either the evening of 13 June or the morning of 14 June, with intermittent stops for rest.
Participants will camp in Rafah for three nights, 16 to 18 June, before returning to Cairo on 19 June and flying back to Morocco on the following day. The total cost per participant is around 17,000 dirhams (approximately $1,700), covering flights, accommodation, food and transport.
"If Egypt opens the way and the conditions are met", said Khalid Sefiani, a veteran lawyer and leading pro-Palestine figure.
"We could see not just hundreds, but potentially millions of Moroccans ready to go, not just to Egyptian Rafah, but all the way to the gates of Gaza."
Still, organisers stressed that the march is not an "incursion". "There is no intention to enter Palestinian Rafah," confirmed group member and activist Abderrahim Sheikhy.
Unlike the Tunisian-led 'Somoud convoy' or the Freedom Flotilla, both of which aim to deliver aid directly into Gaza, the Moroccan delegation plans to participate only in a symbolic demonstration at the border, in which activists from over 30 countries will take part.
The group stated the initiative has drawn support from across Morocco's political spectrum—encompassing leftists, Islamists, and independents alike—with expressions of interest coming in from cities across the kingdom. Organisers estimate participation could reach into the thousands.
From all around the globe, thousands of activists and volunteers are joining "the Global March to Gaza" this month to break the Israeli siege on the Palestinian coastal enclave, as the entire 2 million population is at risk of famine.
After nearly three months of total blockade, Israel allowed, under mounting pressure from Western governments and humanitarian organisations, limited aid into Gaza and partially resumed the United Nations's operations. At the same time, it pushed for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a shadowy, US-backed private aid distributor, to take the lead in delivering food to the enclave.
However, aid remains insufficient. The UN has warned that Gaza is now "the hungriest place on Earth." Palestinians, it says, are being shot at, starved, and forced from their homes.
"Egypt, the beating heart of the Arab world, won't block this expression of solidarity. We believe it will allow us to raise our voices for Gaza at Rafah", said the group on Wednesday.
They also used the occasion to urge Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to act in alignment with the message delivered by King Mohammed VI at the recent Baghdad Summit—that Morocco's support for Palestine must extend beyond words.
"This march is a test. It will show whether Moroccan officials are truly committed, not just rhetorically, but in action,"added the group's coordinator.