Egyptian authorities apprehend 200 protesters on planned Gaza border march
(JNS) — Egyptian authorities detained more than 200 pro-Hamas protesters in Cairo on Thursday, as the activists planned to break the blockade on Gaza, according to organizers.
Part of the “Global March on Gaza,” thousands of activists left from Tunisia and planned to make their way by land to the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, and demand the entry of humanitarian aid.
The march’s spokesperson, Saif Abukeshek, told the French news agency AFP: “Over 200 participants were detained at Cairo International Airport or questioned at hotels across Cairo.”
He added that those detained included nationals from the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Morocco and Algeria.
US orders ‘nonessential’ staff to evacuate Baghdad
(JNS) — The U.S. State Department ordered nonessential staff to evacuate the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, amid government efforts to decrease the number of personnel in the Middle East, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
The department also authorized nonessential staff and their relatives to depart from Bahrain and Kuwait, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved a voluntary evacuation from U.S. embassies and locations throughout the region.
The departure order, authorizations and voluntary evacuation are “due to the potential for regional unrest,” per the report. It added that “tensions in the region have been rising in recent days as talks between the United States and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse.”
