An international solidarity march for Gaza is in its final stages of preparation, one of the members of the Greek delegation told the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday, as a handful of Cypriots are set to join the action.

The Global March to Gaza coalition, bringing together thousands of people from 36 countries, has already begun gathering in Cairo.

The convoys will gather in the Egyptian capital on Thursday before heading out to the border city of Al Arish in northeastern Egypt.

From there, participants plan to march on foot to the Rafah crossing, where protest tents will be set up, according to organisers.

It’s unclear whether Egyptian authorities, who remain suspicious of demonstrations, will permit the march to proceed.

At any rate, participants will gather in Cairo on June 12 and stay at accommodations recommended by their respective delegations. On June 13 they will travel by bus to Al Arish, from where they will walk 48km to the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip.

The initiative wants to draw attention to the plight of the Palestinian people in the enclave, to break the siege on Gaza, cut off from almost all humanitarian aid for nearly three months.

Participants from across the world will make their way to Egypt by air and overland. By air, our source said, around 2,500 people are expected; at the same time, the ‘Sumud’ convoy has set out by land from Tunisia, with at least 6,000 people taking part as of the last count.

The Global March to Gaza describes itself as a civic, apolitical and independent peaceful movement.

As stated on its website, they do not intend to forcibly enter Gaza. Rather, they “aim to negotiate the opening of the Rafah terminal with the Egyptian authorities, in collaboration with NGOs, diplomats and humanitarian institutions”.

Our source said the participants will be accompanied by medics, while support will come from a team of legal experts.

Each member will pay their own way, and there will be no fundraising.

The Greek delegation consists of some 200 people. It includes five Cypriots.

Our source said the Greek delegation is the third largest in this effort.

“There are approximately 3,000 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid – food, water, medicines – backed up at the Rafah crossing. We want to pressure Israeli authorities to let the aid into Gaza, and also pressure our governments to lean on Israel.”

The idea for the grass-roots initiative took shape about a month ago.

Well-known personalities will likely include Zwelivelile Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela; Aleida Guevara, daughter of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara; and former Greek finance minister Yiannis Varoufakis.

“We’re doing the self-evident in solidarity with the people of Gaza,” our source stressed.

The UN has warned that lack of food entering Gaza caused by ongoing Israeli aid restrictions is leaving increasing numbers of Palestinians “vulnerable to starvation”, with daily energy intake now well below what a human body needs to survive.