A Yellowknife woman is joining a global march to Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, in support of Palestinians.
Amy Lam, organizer for YK Citizens for Ceasefire, told SA国际影视传媒 she'll be in Cairo, Egypt, alongside participants from across Canada, ready to travel by bus on June 12 to Arish, where a 48-km march toward the Rafah crossing begins. The initiative, known as , is a nonviolent movement comprising people from more than 30 countries trying to peacefully break a humanitarian blockade against Gaza.
According to the United Nations, since October 2023, more than 54,000 Palestinians have either died or been killed in a war with Israel as of June 2025. It also reports that of the 2.1 million people it has analyzed in the area, all of them face high levels of food insecurity.
Lam said she'd be taking an overnight flight on June 8 to Toronto, followed by a direct flight to Egypt. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a decision she started considering a couple of weeks ago, she said.
"It is definitely pretty nerve-wracking to know that you're just going to be kilometres away from what you've been seeing on screen for the last 20 months," said Lam. "That's pretty confronting."
The march is expected to last about three days, she said. It's intended to bring attention to the lack of food and humanitarian aid getting through to the people trapped on the other side by Israel. Realistically, Lam said she's hoping the march will lead to political pressure to open borders and help more Palestinians access aid.
"There has got to be a ceasefire," she insisted. "And then there's got to be an end to the occupation."
During the march, Lam said she would be camping on her way to Rafah alongside everyone else. "You're really just backpacking and marching for three days in the Sinai desert, so you're not bringing a lot," she chuckled.
People marching will also be joined by others travelling by sea on the Freedom Flotilla and the Sumud Convoy, arriving from Tunisia carrying humanitarian aid, according to a news release announcing Lam's decision to march.
The Yellowknife resident said the people taking part in this movement are all desperate for the war to stop and want to see more action taken from their respective governments. For Lam, she said sheSA国际影视传媒檇 be contacting her MP, Rebecca Alty.
"If anything happens there, Canada needs to protect its citizens," said Lam, who also noted that Palestine Vivra, a group out of Montreal helping organize this march for Canadians, is working with the Egyptian embassy, other MPs, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand.
Lam said she plans to return to Yellowknife in early July.
SA国际影视传媒 also reached out to Great Slave MLA Kate Reid, whoSA国际影视传媒檚 been outspoken for Palestinians and is also LamSA国际影视传媒檚 MLA. However, Reid was not responsive by publication deadline.
