Bottle of Hope: Food-Filled Bottles from Egypt Reportedly Reach Gaza Shoreline

Videos circulating on social media show plastic bottles filled with rice, flour, and lentils reportedly reaching the Gaza shoreline after an Egyptian man tossed them into the Mediterranean Sea from Egypt’s coast. The bottle also carried a message on a paper “Forgive us brother, This is all we can do” written on it. The act, part of a campaign dubbed “A Bottle of Hope,” aims to offer symbolic food aid to Palestinians facing a humanitarian crisis due to Israel’s total blockade on Gaza enforced since March 18, 2025.

On July 23, a viral video showed an Egyptian man throwing food-filled bottles into the sea, each carrying a message of solidarity. By July 29, local sources in Gaza reported that some of these bottles arrived at the beach. A Palestinian man found one containing lentils and shared that the gesture reminded him that “people outside Gaza still care.”

Multiple videos have since emerged showing bottles containing rice, lentils, and flour on Gaza’s shorelines. These have been widely shared across social media platforms.

The initiative has gained attention across the region. Similar acts reported in Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Türkiye. In Egypt’s Sheikh Zuwaid region, more civilians are preparing bottles with grains and casting them into the sea.

An Egyptian engineer, Dr. Mohamed Sayed Ali Hassan, proposed using 25-liter sealed containers with buoyancy adjustments to improve the chances of food containers reaching Gaza through sea currents.

The United Nations has declared Gaza to be at risk of famine. According to reports, hospitals have recorded over 100 starvation-related deaths, including children. More than 500,000 bags of flour needed weekly to sustain Gaza’s population under the current siege.

Efforts such as the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s aid ship “Handala” continue, but face constant security threats from Israeli forces at sea.