AGENCY
gaza, june 9
A land convoy carrying hundreds of activists from across North Africa set off from Tunisia on Monday, aiming to reach the besieged Gaza Strip in a symbolic act of defiance against the Israeli blockade, AFP reported. Organized by the Tunisian Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine, the convoy—named “Soumoud”, meaning steadfastness in Arabic—comprises nine buses and includes doctors, civil society members, and pro-Palestine campaigners. The initiative, while not carrying humanitarian aid, seeks to draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which the United Nations has described as “the hungriest place on Earth.” “We are about a thousand people, and we will have more join us along the way,” said Jawaher Channa, spokesperson for the organizing group to AFP. The convoy plans to travel through Libya and Egypt before entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing, although Egyptian authorities have not yet granted the necessary travel permissions. Activists from Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, and Libya have also joined the caravan, which will follow a coastal route through Tunisia and Libya. Despite Libya’s recent unrest and its divided government, Channa expressed confidence in crossing the country, citing its population’s historic support for the Palestinian cause.
The Soumoud convoy follows a failed sea mission earlier this month, when the Madleen aid boat—carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg and Franco-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan—was intercepted by Israeli forces on June 9 before reaching Gaza.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned of an impending famine in Gaza, where over 2 million residents remain trapped under siege.
Organizers of the convoy say the mission is a peaceful protest intended to raise international pressure and amplify calls to end the blockade.
