Hundreds of activists from throughout the globe are marching to the Gaza Strip to attempt to break Israel’s suffocating siege and draw worldwide consideration to the genocide it’s perpetrating there.
Roughly 1,000 individuals taking part within the Tunisian-led stretch of the International March to Gaza, generally known as the Sumud Convoy, arrived in Libya on Tuesday morning, a day after they departed the Tunisian capital, Tunis. They’re now resting in Libya after a full day of journey, however don’t but have permission to cross the japanese a part of the North African nation.
The group, which principally includes residents of the Maghreb, the Northwest African area, is predicted to develop as individuals be a part of from nations it passes by means of because it makes its method in the direction of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.
(Al Jazeera)
How will they do it? When will they get there? What is that this all about?
Right here’s all you might want to know:
Who’s concerned?
The Coordination of Joint Motion for Palestine is main the Sumud Convoy, which is tied to the International March for Palestine.
In whole, there are about 1,000 individuals, travelling on a nine-bus convoy, with the goal of pressurising world leaders to take motion on Gaza.
Sumud is supported by the Tunisian Normal Labour Union, the Nationwide Bar Affiliation, the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Tunisian Discussion board for Financial and Social Rights.
It’s coordinating with activists and people from 50 nations who’re flying into the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on June 12, in order that they’ll all march to Rafah collectively.
A few of these activists are affiliated with an umbrella of grassroots organisations, together with the Palestinian Youth Motion, Codepink Girls for Peace in america and Jewish Voice for Labour in the UK.
How will they attain the Rafah crossing?
The convoy of automobiles and buses has reached Libya. After taking a quick relaxation, the plan is for it to proceed in the direction of Cairo.
“Most individuals round me are feeling braveness and anger (about what’s taking place in Gaza),” mentioned Ghaya Ben Mbarek, an unbiased Tunisian journalist who joined the march simply earlier than the convoy crossed into Libya.
Ben Mbarek is pushed by the idea that, as a journalist, she has to “stand on the proper facet of historical past by stopping a genocide and stopping individuals from dying from starvation”.
As soon as Sumud hyperlinks up with fellow activists in Cairo, they are going to head to El Arish in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula after which embark on a three-day march to the Rafah crossing to Gaza.
Tunisians wave the Palestinian flag as they collect in Tunis early on June 9, 2025, earlier than the departure of the International March to Gaza to interrupt the siege on the Strip (AFP)
Will the activists face obstacles?
The convoy has but to obtain permission to move by means of japanese Libya from authorities within the area. Libya has two rival administrations, and whereas the convoy has been welcomed within the west, discussions are nonetheless ongoing with authorities within the east, an official from the convoy informed Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
The activists had beforehand informed The Related Press information company they don’t count on to be allowed into Gaza, but they hope their journey will stress world leaders to drive Israel to finish its genocidal battle.
One other concern lies in Egypt, which classifies the stretch between El Arish and the Rafah border crossing as a navy zone and doesn’t permit anybody to enter until they reside there.
The Egyptian authorities has not issued an announcement on whether or not it’s going to permit the International March to Gaza to move by means of its territory.
“I doubt they might be allowed to march in the direction of Rafah,” a longtime Egyptian activist, whose title is being withheld for his or her security, mentioned.
“It’s at all times nationwide safety first,” they informed Al Jazeera.
If the convoy makes it to Rafah, it should face the Israeli military on the crossing.
Why did the activists select this method?
Palestine supporters have tried all the things over time as Gaza suffered.
Since Israel’s genocidal battle started 20 months in the past, civilians have protested in main capitals and brought authorized motion in opposition to elected officers for abetting Israel’s mass killing marketing campaign in Gaza.
Activists have sailed on a number of humanitarian support boats in the direction of Gaza, attempting to interrupt a stifling blockade that Israel has imposed since 2007; all have been attacked or intercepted by Israel.
In 2010, in worldwide waters, Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, one of many six boats within the Freedom Flotilla crusing for Gaza. They killed 9 individuals, and yet another individual died of their wounds later.
The Freedom Flotilla stored attempting as Gaza suffered one Israeli assault after one other.
Israel’s present battle on Gaza prompted 12 activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to set sail on board the Madleen from Italy on June 1, hoping to stress world governments to cease Israel’s genocide.
Nevertheless, the activists have been kidnapped by Israeli forces in worldwide waters on June 9.
From left: Suayb Ordu, Baptiste Andre, Greta Thunberg, Thiago Avila, Marco Rennes, and Yasemine Acar, six of the Madleen activists, earlier than departure from Catania, Italy, on June 1, 2025 (Fabrizio Villa/Getty Photographs)
Will the International March to Gaza succeed?
The activists will attempt, even when they’re fairly certain they won’t get into Gaza.
They are saying standing idle will solely allow Israel to proceed its genocide till the individuals of Gaza are all lifeless or ethnically cleansed.
“The message individuals right here wish to ship to the world is that even when you cease us by sea, or air, then we are going to come, by the hundreds, by land,” mentioned Ben Mbarek.
“We’ll actually cross deserts … to cease individuals from dying from starvation,” she informed Al Jazeera.
How dangerous are issues in Gaza?
Since Israel started its battle on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has strangled the meals and provides coming into the Palestinian enclave, engineering a famine that has probably killed hundreds and will kill a whole bunch of hundreds extra.
Israel has carpet-bombed Gaza, killing no less than 54,927 individuals and injuring greater than 126,000.
Authorized students beforehand informed Al Jazeera the struggling in Gaza suggests Israel is intentionally inflicting situations to convey concerning the bodily destruction of the Palestinian individuals in complete or partially – the exact definition of genocide.
International outrage has grown as Israel continues to kill civilians in hundreds, together with youngsters, support staff, medics and journalists.
Since March, Israel has tightened its chokehold on Gaza, utterly stopping support after which capturing at individuals lining up for what little support it permits in, resulting in uncommon statements of condemnation from Western governments.
