A convoy of pro-Palestinian activists, known as the “Soumoud” or steadfastness convoy, has retreated to western Libya after being blocked by authorities in the country’s east. The group, consisting of over 1,000 people from countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, and Tunisia, had been attempting to reach the Gaza Strip to show solidarity with its people. However, they were stopped at the entrance to Sirte, a city controlled by military commander Khalifa Haftar, where they were subjected to a “military blockade” and denied access to food, water, and medicine. The activists were forced to fall back to the Misrata region, approximately 124 miles east of Tripoli, which is administered by the UN-recognized Government of National Unity.
The Joint Action Coordination Committee for Palestine, the group behind the convoy, has condemned the treatment they received and demanded the immediate release of 13 participants still being held by eastern Libyan authorities. The committee reaffirmed its intention to continue the mission to Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt, aiming to “break the blockade and end the genocide of the Palestinian people resisting in Gaza”. Meanwhile, a separate initiative, the Global March to Gaza, was also halted by authorities in Egypt, with dozens of activists reportedly beaten, having their passports confiscated, and being forcibly loaded onto buses by police. The situation highlights the challenges faced by activists attempting to show solidarity with Gaza.
