El-ARISH - Egyptian authorities blocked access to the Sinai Peninsula Saturday, in a bid to prevent activists from reaching the town of Rafah in their planned march to the Gaza Strip. Pro-Palestinian activists planned to march to the Gaza Strip on Sunday, which marks what Palestinians refer to as the nakba (catastrophe) - the May 15 anniversary of Israel's founding. The Egyptian army has warned against rallies at the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip. Organisers, however, remained defiant to the warnings. A convoy left Cairo's Tahrir square on Saturday to head to Sinai. Before their departure, they said their march was intended to send a message to the international community and the Arab world that 'the Palestinian issue is that of all Arabs, and supporting it remains the concern of Egyptians.' They are calling for Palestinian statehood and an end to Israeli occupation, as well as the release of all Palestinian prisoners. However, joint army and police forces closed al-Salam bridge, which crosses over the Suez Canal to Sinai, to prevent individuals who plan to join the march. Only Sinai residents and those who work there will be allowed to pass, security said. Thousands of Egyptians gathered in central Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, waving Palestinian flag alongside Egyptian flags, to show support for Palestinian rights.
