While the world’s attention is focused on the conflict between Iran and Israel, hundreds of people from various Maghreb countries have attempted to cross Libya with the aim of reaching Egypt and, ultimately, the Rafah crossing.
Initially estimated at between 1,000 and 1,500 people, some sources reported up to 7,000 applications for participation from all over the world, primarily from the Maghreb (Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco), but also with activists from over 80 countries, including Europeans (such as Italians, French) Americans, and Australians, who embarked on a journey to Egypt to join the Global March for Gaza. This solidarity initiative aims to break the Israeli blockade on the Strip. Therefore, it’s not just a simple march, but a unanimous cry for justice and a demonstration of human solidarity with the people of Gaza, who are enduring unimaginable suffering. Because while the world’s attention is on the conflict between Iran and Israel, people in Gaza continue to die and suffer. Furthermore, in recent days, access to communications from Gaza, already extremely limited, has been practically cut off.
The “Sumoud Convoy” (meaning “resilience and steadfastness” in Arabic) aimed to reach the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s last lifeline, to deliver humanitarian aid and a message of solidarity. The convoy, which departed from Tunisia on June 9, sought to cross Libya by buses, trucks, and private cars, with the goal of reaching Egypt and finally the Rafah crossing.
Among the volunteers are trade unionists, politicians, human rights activists, athletes, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and members of youth organizations, as well as important civil society groups, especially from Tunisia, such as the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights. The Association of Millions of Rural and Landless Women, a member of La Via Campesina, also had a delegation.
The convoy carried life-saving aid and aimed to raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, described by the United Nations as the “hungriest place on Earth.” The organizers emphasized that the primary goal was not to force the border, but to negotiate the opening of the Rafah terminal with Egyptian authorities, in collaboration with NGOs, diplomats, and humanitarian institutions, to generate moral and media pressure through the visibility of thousands of unarmed civilians to end the massacres, in the face of international failure: “This is a message to the people of Gaza: you are not alone.” If blocked at the border, the participants’ idea was to set up an indefinite encampment.This movement followed other attempts to bring aid by sea, such as the Madleen vessel of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which was intercepted by Israeli forces between June 8 and 9.
The convoy entered Libya, passing through cities like Tripoli, Misrata, Sirte, and Benghazi, with the aim of reaching the Saloum crossing on the border with Egypt. Libyan authorities (both from the recognized government in Tripoli and the eastern forces in Cyrenaica) had a varied approach, with Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah describing the convoy as a “fraternal humanitarian initiative.” Despite the commitment, recent reports indicate that the convoy was blocked since Thursday evening, June 12, near Sirte, in eastern Libya, by security authorities and the armed forces of General Khalifa Haftar, with some participants detained (though later released).
Arrival in Egypt proved to be the most critical phase. Egyptian authorities adopted a tough stance. There were reports of raids on hotels, harassment, with numerous arrests, interrogations, and deportations of participants who arrived at Cairo airport to join the march. Egyptian authorities in Cairo did not grant passage permits for the march towards Rafah.
In recent days alone, Israeli forces have killed 79 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including at least 11 in the al-Mawasi area of Rafah, while they were trying to obtain food at aid sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The Gaza Ministry of Health stated in a communiqué last Saturday, June 14, that at least 274 people have been killed so far and more than 2,000 injured near aid distribution sites since the GHF began operations in Gaza, in the so-called “Netzarim corridor.” The Israeli army has admitted to shooting at people seeking aid, but stated they only opened fire when “suspects” deviated from an established path for the GHF distribution site. Areas around the corridor, such as the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps and the al-Mughraqa, az-Zahra, Zeitoun, and Juhor ad-Dik neighborhoods, have suffered extensive destruction and severe losses. The United Nations has also labeled the GHF’s aid distribution as inadequate and dangerous, a violation of humanitarian principles, as Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told journalists in Geneva on Friday. “They are not doing what a humanitarian operation should be doing, which is providing aid to people where they are, in a safe and secure way.”
