Gaza-bound land convoy arrives in Libya to cheering crowds

The Sumud ("resilience") land convoy carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestine activists to Gaza entered the Libyan city of Zawiya on Tuesday to a warm public welcome, marking a key milestone in its journey across North Africa.

After crossing into Libya from Tunisia via the Ras Jedir border post, where it was temporarily delayed due to heightened security procedures, Libyan authorities permitted the convoy to proceed on the condition that it split into three groups.

The first of those groups has now reached Zawiya, with the rest expected later in the day.

"This is a civil and popular initiative in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza," said Wael Naouar, a member of the Tunisian Coordination for Joint Action for Palestine, which is organising the mission. "We refuse to remain silent."

The convoy is part of a broader, grassroots response to Israel’s deadly siege on Gaza, and comes just days after the Israeli navy violently intercepted the Freedom Flotilla ship Madleen, which was attempting to deliver aid by sea.

All 12 activists aboard, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were initially detained, and later, some were deported.

The Sumud convoy, which set off Monday from Avenue Mohamed V in central Tunis, comprises around 1,500 participants, including some 1,000 Tunisians, 200 Algerians, and dozens of Libyans, all travelling in 15 buses and roughly 150 cars.

Organisers said more than 7,000 people had applied to join, but the number was capped for logistical reasons.

Hundreds of supporters had gathered at dawn in Tunis to send off the convoy, waving Tunisian and Palestinian flags. The convoy has since travelled through Sousse, Sfax, Gabes, and Ben Guerdane before reaching Libya.

Speaking to The New Arab from Zawiya, Libyan activist Mona bin Nasir said the convoy was being hosted by local civil society groups on Tuesday night before continuing eastward through Tripoli and onward to Zliten.

The western military zone of Libya's Government of National Unity had deployed security escorts for the convoy, she said.

Participants plan to continue across Libya via Sirt and Benghazi, before attempting to cross into Egypt through the Salloum border.

"We plan to pass through Cairo and reach North Sinai, from where we will attempt to enter Rafah and Gaza," said Naouar. "It won't be easy, but we're determined."

Among the Libyan organisations taking part are the National Organisation for Social Justice and Development, Jerusalem Relief and Development, Our Cause is Jerusalem, the Zliten Campaign for al-Aqsa, and the Rahma and Tawasol Charitable Associations. Organisers also coordinated with international activists travelling by air to Egypt, who had been in contact with the Madleen before it was boarded.

"This is a moral obligation," said Samir Cheffi of Tunisia’s General Labour Union (UGTT), one of several civil society bodies backing the mission, alongside the Tunisian League for Human Rights and the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights. "The entire Arab world is under threat from displacement and expansionist policies."

Dr. Salma Dakar, from the Tunisian Young Doctors Organisation, said medical professionals had joined the convoy, equipped with supplies and an ambulance destined for Gaza.

"Practising medicine is a form of resistance. Our moral duty as doctors is to stand against genocide," she said.

Organisers say the Sumud convoy is just the beginning of a broader movement against the siege.

"We're not waiting for Arab summits or empty statements. We’re taking action," said Jawaher Channa, a member of the convoy’s planning committee. "Sumud reflects the spirit of Gaza - and those who stand with it."

With Israel accused of weaponising hunger and obstructing aid, the situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels.

According to the IPC, 470,000 people are facing famine, and the entire population is in acute food insecurity. Over 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, local health authorities say.

Should the convoy be blocked at Egypt's border, organisers say they are prepared to camp indefinitely.

"Even that will send a message," said one activist. "People over power. If they stop dozens, thousands will rise."