North African Activists Head to Gaza in Convoy to Protest Israeli Blockade

Activists from North Africa are traveling by convoy to Gaza via Egypt to protest Israel's blockade and demand humanitarian aid access.

A large convoy transporting hundreds of activists has reached Libya after departing from Algeria and passing through Tunisia. Their destination is the Gaza Strip, where they aim to challenge Israel’s blockade that has been preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region.

This convoy consists of no fewer than 1,500 individuals, including activists and supporters primarily from Algeria and Tunisia. Additional participants from Libya are expected to join as the convoy progresses. On Tuesday, the group arrived in the Libyan city of Zawiya, continuing their journey toward Gaza by car and bus. Their route has taken them through several Libyan cities—Tripoli, Misrata, Sirte, and Benghazi—en route to the Saloum Crossing at the Egyptian border. From there, the convoy is anticipated to proceed to Cairo before making its way to the Rafah Crossing into Gaza.

One of the participants, Jamila Sharitah from Algeria, noted on Tuesday that officials in both Tunisia and Libya have provided support to the convoy, ensuring a relatively smooth passage. Another participant, Zayed al-Hamami, emphasized that the main objective of the journey is to advocate for the reopening of border crossings and to facilitate the delivery of aid into the Gaza Strip.

Convoy organizer Terkiya Shayibi affirmed their commitment, stating that convoys by land, sea, and air are determined to reach Gaza despite the obstacles. She added that threats or violent measures taken against them would not deter their mission.

On Monday, the Israeli military intercepted a separate Gaza-bound aid vessel carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg and approximately a dozen others. This action was part of the ongoing enforcement of Israel’s longstanding blockade on Gaza, which has grown even more stringent amid the ongoing war with Hamas. Thunberg and the other activists were deported by Israeli authorities on Tuesday.

The group aboard the seized boat had launched their voyage in protest of Israel’s military operations in Gaza—a conflict widely described as one of the deadliest and most devastating since World War II. Their protest also targeted the severe restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the territory. International experts have issued stark warnings about an impending famine in Gaza, a region home to more than two million people, if the blockade remains in place and military operations continue.