At least 1,500 activists, medics and volunteers have arrived in Zawiya, Libya, and are preparing to drive east toward Egypt’s Rafah crossing in an effort to push aid into Gaza. The group set out from Algeria, travelled through Tunisia and crossed Libya by way of Tripoli, Misrata, Sirte and Benghazi before reaching the Saloum border area, organisers and participants said. Leaders say the movement is meant to force open land, sea and air routes for humanitarian deliveries, but Egyptian authorities say foreign delegations must follow visa and permit rules before visiting the border area. The convoy plans to travel to Cairo and then press on to Rafah, but its onward passage depends on approvals from Egypt’s foreign ministry.
The immediate read is simple. A large, determined group has moved into western Libya and intends to press toward the Gaza border, testing the limits of regional rules and security barriers. At least 1,500 people identified by organisers as activists, medical teams and volunteers have gathered in Zawiya and are preparing the eastward leg of their journey, organisers and participants said.
Who is in the convoy and the route they took
Organisers said the convoy began in Algeria and drove through Tunisia into Libya. Along the way the group passed through Libyan cities including Tripoli, Misrata, Sirte and Benghazi before reaching the Saloum border area. Participants described a mixed composition: activists, medics and engineers from Algeria and Tunisia, with supporters expected to join once the convoy stages in Libya.
Jamila Sharitah, an Algerian participant, said Tunisian and Libyan authorities had cooperated with the convoy and helped its journey. Zayed al-Hamami, another participant, said the convoy aims to press for reopening crossings and allowing humanitarian deliveries into the Gaza Strip, framing the movement as both a relief effort and a political challenge to existing blockades.
Organisers emphasised the scale and variety of their plans. Terkiya Shayibi, identified by organisers as a convoy leader, said, "There are land, sea and air convoys that will arrive in Gaza despite the restrictions," and added that violent responses wouldn't deter them. The comment underlines that the group sees its mission as part protest and part direct-action relief effort.
Logistics, legal hurdles and the wider context
The convoy travelled by cars and buses and is staging in western Libya as it prepares to move east. Separately reported footage and on-the-ground accounts show participants gathering at camps and logistics sites near Tripoli ahead of the planned eastward leg.
Organisers said they have set up temporary camps and are continuing local preparations while they seek permission for border transit.
That permission matters. Egypt’s foreign ministry said any foreign delegation wishing to visit the border area must follow specified regulatory procedures, including obtaining visas or prior permits through Egyptian embassies abroad or foreign embassies in Cairo. The statement warned that requests submitted outside the established framework wouldn't be considered. Those rules apply to visits to the border area adjacent to Gaza, including Arish and the Rafah crossing, and they create a formal hurdle for the convoy after its arrival in Libya.
The convoy’s push isn't taking place in isolation. It follows parallel attempts to reach Gaza by sea and by land that have met with interception or obstruction. Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a Gaza-bound aid vessel that carried climate activist Greta Thunberg and other campaigners earlier in the week, and Israeli authorities began processing the passengers for deportation. Previous overland efforts into Gaza have encountered blockades and attacks across the wider region, and international officials have condemned violence against aid convoys.
Organisers portray the current movement as part of a series of Maghreb-led convoys that began from Algeria and Tunisia in recent weeks. Earlier convoys and actions have run into resistance from local security actors and checkpoints inside Libya and from border regulators in Egypt.
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Organisers say they will travel to Cairo and then press on to Rafah, but Egypt has told would-be delegations any visits to Arish or the Rafah crossing must be applied for through embassies and accompanied by visas or prior permits.
This article was created with AI assistance.
