Maghreb convoy heads to Gaza to break Israel’s siege
FILE — Supporters greet a busload of prisoners heading to Gaza City after being released in exchange for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, at the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, on Oct. 18, 2011. Hamas traded the single Israeli soldier for more than 1,000 Palestinians, including Yahya Sinwar, a prison leader who had been involved in the negotiations. Freeing him was a big prize for Hamas, and he vowed to release more inmates. (Lynsey Addario/The New York Times) — NO SALES —
A 100-vehicle convoy of volunteers from across North Africa is making its way from Tunisia to Gaza, determined to deliver aid to the besieged enclave.
According to the Middle East Eye, on June 9, thousands of volunteers from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia left the Tunisian capital in the “Soumoud” convoy to raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and deliver life-saving aid.
“The convoy will express solidarity with the Palestinian people under siege and deliver humanitarian aid to them,” the coordination group said in a statement.
For nearly 3 months, humanitarian aid to Gaza had been completely choked off by Israel which controls all border crossings and exit points. The result has been a deteriorating famine which has led the UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordination office to label Gaza the hungriest place on Earth.
While international pressure forced Israel to instate the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the high security and overcrowded conditions have turned Israel’s US-back distribution centers into death traps, with Israeli forces frequently open firing at Gazans desperately scrambling for aid.
The Soumoud convoy’s journey is symbolic, containing trade union and political figures, as well as human rights activists, athletes, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and members of youth organizations.
“Participants in the convoy will head to the Ras Jedir crossing on the Tunisian-Libyan border, and travel along the Libyan coastal road to Cairo, then to the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian-Palestinian border, to deliver messages of solidarity and aid to the Palestinians in Gaza,” the statement said.
It remains unclear, however, whether the convoy will reach the besieged Gaza Strip, as Egyptian officials have yet to authorize the convoy’s entry into North Sinai.
The effort comes as Israeli forces seized control of a charity flotilla aiming to deliver aid. The crew of the “Madleen,” including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were detained on June 9 and swiftly deported on June 10
In recent years, several ships have attempted to break Israel’s land, sea, and naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, but have repeatedly been pushed back by Israeli forces.
Middle East Eye/ Maghrebi
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