Egypt Arrests Two Global March to Gaza Organizers

Cairo, Jun 16 (AP) Egyptian authorities have arrested two members of the international coordination committee of the Global March to Gaza.

The group announced on Monday that they have not been able to communicate with French citizen Hicham El Ghaoui and Spanish national Manuel Tapial for approximately a day following their detention, and currently have no information regarding their whereabouts.

Individuals from 80 countries had planned to gather at Egypt's border with Gaza to draw attention to the escalating humanitarian crisis affecting Palestinians, following Israel's blockade of aid trucks to the coastal area since March.

"Our commitment remains unchanged: We stand with Gaza, call for the opening of a humanitarian corridor, and demand an end to the genocide against the Palestinian people. Governments must act now," the statement emphasized.

Evacuations from Iran and Israel In a related development, around 120 people, including diplomats and their families, have been evacuated from Iran through Turkmenistan, as stated by the country's Foreign Ministry on Monday. Many evacuees hail from Central Asian nations such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.

Turkmenistan, a nation rich in natural gas that has remained relatively isolated since its 1991 independence from the Soviet Union, shares a 1,148-kilometer border with Iran.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic is sending an aircraft to facilitate the departure of its citizens from Israel amidst the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to the Czech Foreign Ministry. Additional Czech citizens are expected to utilize a Slovakian government plane heading to Jordan to return home.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that 14 Taiwanese nationals were transported by bus from Israel to Jordan on Sunday and will receive further travel assistance from the ministry. The foreign ministry is also in contact with an additional nine Taiwanese citizens currently in Iran and is ready to assist them with their departure if necessary.

(AP) SCY

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