Charity cyclists on 6000km journey to Gaza refused entry when they get there

Four cyclists on a 6,000km fundraising trip to Gaza have been refused entry to the troubled state.

The students crossed 14 countries to raise money for medical aid and resources in Palestine and to provide a neo-natal unit for burn victims following the war with Israel.

But despite an invitation from Irishman John Ging, head of United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, and other official documentation, they were refused entry.

The Egyptian authorities forced the cyclists to turn back and brought them in a military escort to Cairo, from where they will fly home.

The cyclists, who travelled under the banner Pathways to Palestine, left Ireland on June 22, cycling more than 150km a day and the Pathways to Palestine trip is a cycle trek that is double the distance of the Tour de France.