Egyptians are sending food-filled bottles to the war-torn Gaza Strip through a new symbolic initiative aimed at easing starvation as Israeli aggression shows no sign of abating.
Under the campaign named “From Sea to Sea – a Bottle of Hope for Gaza,” participants fill one- or two-litre bottles with rice, lentils, grains and other dry foods before releasing them into the sea, the New Arab reported.
The participants hope that these bottles will reach the besieged territory and alleviate their hunger and suffering since the war erupted on October 7, 2023.
They described the initiative as a “desperate measure” to bypass Israel’s siege, which has blocked hundreds of aid trucks at border crossings, worsening hunger in the enclave.
Organisers also urged citizens from other Mediterranean countries — including Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco — to join the effort.
A message in the bottle
The idea was proposed by an Egyptian academic and engineer based in Japan, who described it on Facebook as the “most practical method” given the ongoing siege.
He suggested using sealed 25-litre plastic jerrycans that can hold six to eight kilograms of food, while keeping enough air inside to stay afloat.
He further advised releasing the containers at least four kilometres from the coast, angled 60 degrees northeast to counter sea currents.
“Surface currents in the eastern Mediterranean flow from west to east, at a speed of up to 0.8km/hr, meaning the containers could reach the shores of Gaza within 72-96 hours, if sent from areas such as Damietta or east of Port Said,” he said.
Meanwhile, Arab media likened the campaign to the centuries-old “message in a bottle” tradition, where sealed messages are set adrift in hopes of being found.
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Campaign draws mixed reactions
The initiative earned widespread praise across several social media platforms, with many saying that the move is a “sincere expression” in the face of the “impotence of governments.”
Many social media users expressed hope that the initiative would soon reach Gaza, while others joined in, sharing videos of themselves sending bottles into the sea.
“When aid is blocked by land and air, we turn to the sea. Sealed bottles with food, prayers and hope launched from nearby shores…headed to Gaza,” a user posted on X, formerly Twitter.
However, others questioned its impact, arguing that real relief requires co-ordinated pressure, support for credible aid groups and opening crossings for large-scale humanitarian aid.
Starvation in Gaza continues to soar
The campaign comes as Gaza’s food crisis worsens, with over 100 aid organisations warning of “mass starvation” and reporting that more than 950 aid trucks remain stranded at the Egypt–Gaza border.
The Integrated Food Phase Classifications (IPC), an initiative that provides food security analysis, also revealed in a recent report that the famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip.
IPC said that Gaza’s food consumption has significantly declined, with one in three people going without food for days and the proportion of households experiencing extreme hunger doubling.
Acute malnutrition rates are also on the rise, particularly in Gaza City in which the prevalence increased from 4.4% in May to 16.5% in early July.
“Immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access into Gaza is the only way to stop rapidly rising starvation and death,” the report said, as quoted by NPR.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s ongoing offensive, which began on October 7, 2024, has killed at least 59,219 Palestinians, though the true toll is feared to be even higher, with thousands still uncounted.
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