Egyptian authorities have detained or deported more foreign nationals seeking to join a pro-Palestinian march to Gaza, Reuters reports.

Groups of foreign participants were being held at checkpoints, and sit-ins had begun at two locations on the road leading to the Rafah crossing, organisers said.

They said police were stopping vehicles about 30 kilometres from Ismailia, close to the Sinai peninsula, en route to Rafah, nearly 300km away. Police were forcing passengers with non-Egyptian passports to disembark, they said.

Security sources confirmed that at least 88 individuals had been detained or deported from Cairo airport and other locations.

Officials at Cairo International Airport said new directives were issued to airlines requiring all passengers travelling to Egypt between June 12 and 16 to hold confirmed return tickets.