A mother-of-four from Co Laois is flying to Egypt to join people from over 60 countries with the goal of marching to the Rafah crossing in Gaza.
Helen Lawlor, a nurse from Mountmellick, is one of around 50 people from Ireland who are taking part in The Global March to Gaza.
It describes itself as a peaceful movement, aiming to lift the siege of the Palestinian enclave.
"The Irish delegation is joining participants from more than 60 countries who are standing together to say: 'we can't watch this anymore, we can’t allow this to continue," Ms Lawlor explained.
Participants are gathering in the Egyptian capital Cairo, before travelling by bus to Al Arish, where the 48km march will begin tomorrow. They expect to arrive at Rafah on Sunday.
Organisers expect up to 3,000 people to take part.
Israel's defence minister Israel Katz objected to the mobilisation and said that he believes Egyptian authorities will "prevent the arrival of jihadist protesters at the Egypt-Israel border".
Such actions "would endanger the safety of (Israeli) soldiers and will not be allowed," Mr Katz added.
Egypt said that while it backs efforts to put "pressure on Israel" to lift its blockade on Gaza, any foreign delegations seeking to visit the border area must receive prior approval.
"It's a civil, peaceful demonstration by people to express and plead the need to allow humanitarian aid to pass into Gaza," Ms Lawlor said.
People 'rising up for Palestine' - Murphy
People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy is also travelling to Cairo to join the march.
He told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that the event is being organised by ordinary people around the world who are "rising up for Palestine".
"The purpose is to march to the Rafah crossing and to demand that the aid that is sitting there is allowed in, to allow a humanitarian corridor, so that the threat of famine from the people of Gaza can be lifted and that no longer will aid be used to entice people into certain areas before being shot down.
"These are peaceful, pro-Palestine solidarity protests. We have clear guidelines on what we're doing.
"We're not trying to forcibly break through into Gaza or anything like that. It is a peaceful demonstration."
Despite this, Mr Murphy said that he is hearing reports of Irish people being detained at Cairo International Airport, having flown in to take part in the march.
He added that most people in Egypt support the movement.
The march begins days after Israel detained the Madleen, the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ship with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and 11 others on board.
Since Monday, a convoy of pro-Palestinian activists from Tunisia, Algeria and Libya have been travelling across land as part of the ‘Soumoud’ convoy, meaning ‘steadfastness’.
Israel’s blockade on aid has been ongoing since early March.
Its military campaign has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the densely-populated territory, which is home to more than two million people.
Almost 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage in the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel's single deadliest day.
Additional reporting Reuters/AFP
