Elaine Wilcock, a single mother who lives with her two teenage sons in Hove, landed in Cairo on Wednesday with the intention of marching from Al Arish in Egypt, through the Sinai desert, to the Rafah border. Once at the border, she planned to spend three days with over 4,000 people from 52 countries in peaceful protest – calling on Israel to “end the siege” and allow “unrestricted aid into the region”. Ms Wilcock said the march’s organisers had notified the Egyptian authorities of their plans months in advance and had advised the Egyptian ambassador to the UK.

“They had done as much as possible to get approval and let them know of our intentions and there was no sign they weren’t supportive”, she said. Read more: Hove mum prepares to march through desert to Gaza border Many participants said they were detained at Cairo airport, refused entry and subsequently deported while others say they were arrested in the street and taken to detention centres. While Ms Wilcock entered Cairo easily, she was detained at the second checkpoint in Ishmalia, where she and others were detained and had their passports confiscated.

“It was searing heat – 38 degrees – with no shade and no water”, she said. “It’s not comparable to the suffering of Palestinians but nonetheless we didn’t anticipate it. “We started singing and chanting and it was quite a positive feel.

Buses were tooting their horns and locals chanting in support.” Elaine met Nelson Mandela's grandson, who was also detained at the checkpoint (Image: Supplied) Ms Wilcock said she met Nelson Mandela’s grandson, who was also detained at the checkpoint. “He spoke passionately about the apartheid and the West bank settlers and the plight of the Palestinian people”, she said. The 48-year-old said she saw protestors attacked by the Baltagiya, who are “armed thugs” allegedly paid by the police to attack those seen to oppose the government.

“They started to beat people up and throw stones at some of the marchers. Some were really badly hurt”, she said. “I never saw marchers behave violently but some were treated very badly and some dragged off onto buses.

I saw a black hood thrown over one person’s head and put into back of a van.” At midnight, Ms Wilcock and the other detained participants boarded a bus, but did not know where it is was heading. Eventually, they were dropped at the outskirts of Cairo and Ms Wilcock flew home on Tuesday. She said: “We weren’t just a bunch of very privileged westerners going off and doing things on their own without ensuring the voices of the people at the heart of the conflict were heard – it was planned by and with Palestinians.

“It was really scary watching some of the marchers being attacked. We had hoped for a more sympathetic approach from the Egyptian authorities. “It was an incredibly powerful movement of people coming together with a united message but we were sad not to achieve our mission of showing the Palestinians that there was an international body of people who hadn’t forgotten and are prepared to stand with them.”