Tripoli— Thousands of Libyans have welcomed the arrival in Libya of the North African land convoy heading to Gaza as part of world efforts to protest the genocidal Israeli blockade of food to the Palestinian Strip. It comes after two days since Israel stopped a high-profile aid flotilla from landing in Gaza.
The so-called “Steadfastness Convoy” departed the Tunisian capital, Tunis, on Monday morning and arrived western Libyan cities after crossing the Ras Ajdir border crossing on Tuesday morning. It passed through the cities of Zuwara, Zliten, Sabratha, and Zawiya.
The convoy, which includes more than 1,000 volunteers, aims to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza Strip and deliver aid to the Palestinians, who have been subjected to an ongoing war of extermination by Israel since 7 October 2023.
Meanwhile, at least 36 people have been killed across the enclave since this morning, including three paramedics who were recovering dead Palestinians’ bodies. Yesterday, Israeli forces have killed at least 60 Palestinians in Gaza on Monday, including at least 14 people who were waiting for food aid near the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) aid center in southern Rafah.
The convoy includes 15 buses and 150 private cars. In order to manage it easily, it is divided into three groups due to the large number of buses and cars. These groups were supplied with gasoline, oil, food, drink, and other necessities.
The first meeting point in Libya of the whole convoy will at the Joudiam Camp east of Zawiya city. All convoy members will spend the night at the camp which is well known as the Boycott Forest Camp since the 1950s.
On Wednesday, at 8:00 AM, the convoy will depart from Joudiam Boycott Camp, passing through the capital, Tripoli where it will stop for a while at Martyrs Square, then passing through Tajoura, Al-Qarbouli, Qasr Al-Akhyar, Qamata, Al-Alous, Maslata, and Al-Khums. The second meeting point will be in the city of Zliten.
On Thursday, at 8:00 AM, it will depart Zliten, passing through the city of Misrata, Sirte and Benghazi and then to Salloum border crossing with Egypt.
Every city located on the nearly 2,000-kilometer Libyan coastal highway is wishing to welcome the convoy, if its schedule would allow.
The convoy was organized by activists from Algeria and Tunisia and represents the whole of North Africa. The Joint Action for Palestine Coordination Committee (JAPCC) in Tunisia said the convoy includes trade union and political figures, as well as human rights activists, lawyers, doctors, media professionals, and members of youth organizations.
The coordination committee also published the departure schedule from Tunis and major Tunisian cities, as well as the meeting and travel points through these cities.
On May 31, Wael Nawar, spokesperson for the “Resilience Caravan,” reported that thousands of people from Tunisia and the Maghreb countries had asked to join the convoy.
