Egyptians, deeply moved by the harrowing images of starvation emerging from Gaza, have launched a symbolic grassroots campaign called “From Sea to Sea – A Bottle of Hope for Gaza.”
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Formal Version:
“Along Egypt’s northern Sinai coast, a poignant initiative has emerged as a group of children has begun casting plastic bottles filled with staple foods such as rice, pasta, and grains into the sea.… pic.twitter.com/yNKToqEHEk— M Shakeeb (@mgmskb2005) July 26, 2025
The initiative involves Egyptians filling one- and two-litre plastic bottles with grains, rice, lentils, and other dry food items, then releasing them into the Mediterranean Sea with the hope that they will eventually reach Gaza’s shores.
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Those taking part described it as a desperate yet heartfelt response to Israel’s suffocating blockade, which has prevented hundreds of aid trucks from crossing into Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of starvation. Participants have also urged people in other Mediterranean countries—such as Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco—to join in.
According to local Arabic media, the idea was inspired by the “message in a bottle” concept and has been widely praised online, particularly on social media. The campaign is said to have been proposed by an Egyptian academic and engineer based in Japan, who argued that sending food via sea might be the only feasible method under the current conditions.
In a Facebook post, he explained that a tightly sealed 25-litre plastic jerrycan could carry 6–8 kilograms of food, with an internal air gap of about 8 litres to help it float. He recommended releasing these containers at least four kilometres from the coast, angled 60 degrees northeast, to avoid counter-currents.
“Surface currents in the eastern Mediterranean flow west to east at up to 0.8 km/h,” he wrote, “which means the containers could reach Gaza’s shores within 72 to 96 hours if launched from areas like Damietta or east of Port Said.”
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Many users embraced the idea, posting videos of themselves taking part. Some praised the initiative as a “sincere gesture” amid the “failure of governments,” while others stressed the need to transform such symbolic actions into broader collective pressure—by supporting reliable humanitarian organisations and demanding urgent international action to end the blockade and allow life-saving aid into Gaza.
Mounting Humanitarian Crisis
The initiative comes amid alarming warnings from more than 100 aid organisations about the mass starvation unfolding in Gaza.
Over 950 trucks carrying essential aid are currently stuck at the Egypt-Gaza border. Meanwhile, the UN reported that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians attempting to obtain food since the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation took control of aid operations in May.
Groups like Save the Children, Oxfam, and Doctors Without Borders say their own staff in Gaza are also suffering from severe hunger. World Health Organization chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the malnutrition crisis in Gaza “man-made,” as Israel continues its devastating assault on the territory.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel’s war on the Strip has killed at least 59,219 Palestinians since October 2023. However, the actual death toll is believed to be significantly higher, with thousands still buried beneath rubble.