Cairo welcomes us with its scorching heat, enveloping us in a city of historic grandeur and, at times, decaying beauty. Along the route to our hotel, towering mosques and imposing government buildings stand in contrast to the omnipresent billboards featuring President Al-Sisi—images of his meetings with world leaders, as well as personal portraits, seemingly designed to convey that everything is under control, that Egypt is safe, and that the Muslim Brotherhood has been defeated and withdrawn from the region.
On the first day of our visit, we attended a panel discussion with journalists and Palestinian individuals sharing their testimonies. Journalists who have reported from Gaza described the immense difficulty of their work, knowing that at any moment they could perish or lose loved ones. Their mission along with Italian MP, MEP and AOI, ARCI e Assopace Palestina is to shed light on the tragedy unfolding in Palestine, where many ordinary people have transformed into citizen journalists, using their smartphones to document reality.
Upon arriving in Al Arish, on the shores of the Mediterranean, Gaza was practically in front of us. That night, despite being dozens of kilometers away, the shockwaves of bombings reached us—carried by the wind and the sea. The next morning, we learned that in one of these airstrikes, Sinwar’s brother had been killed.
Finally, we reached the Rafah crossing under escort, where we saw containment walls under construction. Egypt appears to be fortifying itself, yet the same infrastructure could soon serve as foundations for refugee camps. Our entry was denied, while the reverberations of bombings grew louder and more intense. A deep sense of loss and helplessness engulfed us—the international community remains inactive, and a paradigm shift is desperately needed.
On the third day, we visited the Egyptian Red Crescent warehouses, where tons of humanitarian aid lay in storage, blocked by Israeli restrictions that have left two million people starving.
During the first ceasefire, shipments of food and medicine from Italy had arrived, but now, Israel has imposed a strict blockade. Before the bombardment of Gaza, there were two operational crossings; since the attacks, all access points have been sealed. UN agencies stand ready to deliver humanitarian aid—1,500 trucks from Rafah alone, and 9,000 trucks across all entry points—but nothing is allowed through. Israel continues to deny Palestinians their right to food and water, and UN officials have warned that without immediate aid within 48 hours, as many as 14,000 children could die from starvation. Behind those barriers, there is no “collateral damage”—only shattered lives, maimed children, and hospitals struggling without electricity, water, or medical supplies.
Politics must have the courage to stand between bombs and civilians, rather than hide behind empty rhetoric. On the final day of our mission, we met with representatives of the Arab League. We all agreed on the urgent necessity of a ceasefire, yet it is clear that far more action is needed to bring an end to this massacre. We refuse to be complicit in this genocide and we will continue the fight.
