Gaza-bound land convoy halted on outskirts of Libya’s Sirte

The Global Sumud Land Convoy, an international humanitarian mission carrying life-saving aid to Gaza, remained stuck Sunday on the outskirts of the Libyan city of Sirte amid talks with authorities over allowing it to continue its journey toward the Palestinian enclave.

The convoy has been waiting since early Sunday on the outer edges of Sirte, located around 450 kilometers (279 miles) east of the capital Tripoli, before entering areas in eastern Libya.

The mission departed Friday from the city of Zawiya, west of Tripoli, bringing together more than 350 activists from 30 countries, including Türkiye, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Indonesia, China, the US, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK.

The convoy is carrying 50 containers, including 30 containers of essential humanitarian aid and 20 containers containing mobile housing units, as well as five ambulances.

Hayati Arslan, the coordinator of Turkish activists participating in the convoy, told Anadolu that discussions with eastern Libyan authorities were still ongoing.

He said the convoy’s goal was solely to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.

Arslan said the assistance being carried remained limited compared to the scale of destruction in Gaza.

He also expressed appreciation for the position of the authorities in eastern Libya regarding Gaza and called for allowing the convoy, its activists and humanitarian aid to continue their journey.

At sea, the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail on Thursday with 54 ships departing from Marmaris district in Türkiye's southwestern Mugla province in a new attempt to break the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza.

In late April, the Israeli army carried out an illegal attack in international waters off the coast of Crete, targeting ships of the Sumud Flotilla, which included 345 participants from 39 countries, including Turkish citizens.

Israel detained 21 boats carrying about 175 activists, while the remaining boats continued their journey toward Greek territorial waters.

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli army launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref