Tripoli - Saba:
The Maghreb "Resilience Convoy/Sumud" to break the siege on the Gaza Strip continued its journey to Egypt on Wednesday, then to the border with the Strip after entering Libya. The convoy's organizers announced the start of the second phase of the journey.
The first group of the Maghreb "Resilience Convoy" to break the siege on Gaza arrived Tuesday, from Tunisia to the Libyan city of al-Zawiya, 51 km from the capital, Tripoli.
Dr. Mohammed Amin Balnour, the medical coordinator of the "Resilience Convoy" to Break the Siege on Gaza, stated that the reception in Libya "was exceptional, and people took to the streets to greet the convoy, while Libyan security personnel gave it an official salute."
Balnour added that the Libyans "provided the convoy with all necessary aid, including food, cold water, and other supplies."
Regarding the health status of the convoy members, Balnour said, "The health situation is good, with only some cases of travel fatigue."
He added, "One patient was returned to Tunisia from Ben Guerdane on the border with Libya."
The convoy set off on Monday morning from Tunis, heading for Gaza, in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade and show solidarity with the Palestinians.
Approximately 1,700 activists are participating in the convoy, with others expected to join them on the way to the Libyan border, along with Libyan organizations and supporters.
According to the activists' overland journey, the starting point was Tunis, heading south toward the Tunisian-Libyan border. The journey will extend across Libya to its border with Egypt, and then to the Rafah land crossing.
The overland convoy is expected to arrive in Cairo on Thursday and then head to the Rafah crossing, where it will arrive on Sunday, according to what the organizers posted on their social media page.
Approximately 1,500 Tunisian civil society and human rights activists, as well as approximately 200 Algerians, participated in this first-of-its-kind land convoy to break the siege on Gaza. Others, along with Libyan organizations and supporters, will join the convoy en route to the Libyan border.
According to organizers, nine buses and 100 private cars set out from the Tunisian capital toward the Libyan border. Additional Libyan vehicles are expected to join the convoy as it travels toward the Egyptian border.
The Arab "Sumud" convoy comes as Israeli occupation authorities intercepted the ship "Madeleine," carrying 12 international activists. The convoy is part of an international civil society movement that includes more than 30 countries in partnership with the Global March to Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and the Joint Action Coordination for Palestine.
Organizers said the convoy is not carrying aid to Gaza, but rather aims to carry out a "symbolic" mission in the Palestinian enclave, which the United Nations has described as the hungriest place on earth. Israel recently allowed limited aid into Gaza after a nearly three-month land blockade.
The limited aid allowed by the Israeli occupation authorities is distributed through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is supported by Israel and the United States, is rejected by the UN, and has faced widespread criticism for its distribution mechanism.
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