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

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. 

Footage shows authorities forcibly removing protesters from a sit-down demonstration at the Cairo border

Gaza aid activists were violently dragged and carried onto buses by balaclava-clad Egyptian authorities

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.’

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.

Organisers said that several dozen activists (pictured) were stopped on the edge of Cairo as they attempted to reach the Suez Canal city of Ismailia

One activist posted a video to social media (pictured) while on a bus heading there, saying: ‘This is an emergency’

‘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.’

The Global March to Gaza action comes just days after Israel intercepted Madleen, (pictured) an aid ship bound for Gaza carrying activist Greta Thunberg on board.

Of the 12 people on board the Madleen, eight were taken into custody after they refused to leave Israel voluntarily. Four others, including Greta Thunberg, (pictured) were deported

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. 

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

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 (pictured)

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.