Tripoli – Saba:
The "Steadfastness Convoy," a Maghreb popular movement aiming to break the two-year blockade on Gaza, arrived on Thursday morning on the outskirts of Misrata, Libya, en route to the Egyptian city of Rafah.
Convoy spokesman Nabil al-Shanoufi stated the convoy will continue its journey eastward through Libyan cities before entering Egypt. He highlighted the warm welcome received from Misrata residents and confirmed the participation of activists from Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, forming a unified Maghreb convoy.
Al-Shanoufi reiterated the convoy's goal to reach Arish, then the Rafah crossing, calling on Egyptian authorities to facilitate passage, noting prior contact with the Egyptian embassy in Tunisia.
However, as the convoy progressed, Egyptian authorities began deporting doctors and activists from Sweden and Denmark upon arrival at Cairo Airport, and detained over 200 foreign activists of various nationalities for their involvement in the Resilience Convoy / Sumud.
Local media reported security forces raiding hotels in Cairo and detaining Tunisian, French, and Algerian participants, with many losing contact.
In its first official response, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that no convoys are permitted to cross Egyptian territory towards Rafah without prior coordination and adherence to security procedures.
This escalation follows Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz's expectation that Egypt would prevent the convoy from reaching Gaza.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese urged Cairo not to take orders from perpetrators of crimes and to facilitate the convoy's swift passage.
The convoy, which departed Tunisia on Monday and entered Libya on Tuesday, includes hundreds of activists, human rights defenders, doctors, and medical equipment, organized by the Joint Action for Palestine Coordination Committee.
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