"Tunisians Initiate Symbolic Mass Land Convoy Towards Gaza in Solidarity-Breaking the Siege"
Spontaneous Soldiers on a Symbolic Journey
A mob of passionate individuals, primarily Tunisians, embarked on a road trip this Monday, heading towards Gaza, with the goal to "break the shackles" that keep the Palestinian territory under siege, as reported by activists.
Coordinators declared that this nine-bus caravan is not equipped to deliver aid to Gaza, but rather to perform a "symbolic gesture" by breaching the blockade that the United Nations described as turning Gaza into "the hungriest place on Earth."
The "Soumoud" convoy, which translates to "resilience" in Arabic, boasts medical professionals among its ranks and aims to reach Rafah, in southern Gaza, "by the end of the week," said Jawaher Channa to AFP.
To reach their destination, they intend to traverse Libya and Egypt, although obtaining passage permits in Egypt remains a question mark in Channa's mind.
"We are about a thousand hearts ready to brave the journey," said Channa, spokeswoman for the Tunisian Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine, the organization orchestrating this mission. "Egypt has not yet granted us permission to cross their borders, but we shall see what awaits us when the time comes."
Comrades from Algeria, Mauretanian, Morocco, and Libya are also part of this coalition. They plan to travel along the Tunisian and Libyan coasts, then continue towards Rafah, Egypt.
Amid 21 arduous months of conflict, Israel is under mounting international scrutiny to alleviate the food and basic necessities shortage in Gaza.
Last June 1, the Madleen aid boat, carrying activists like Swedish climate champion Greta Thunberg, European parliament member Rima Hassan, and several others, set sail for Gaza from Italy.
However, on Monday morning, an unfortunate turn of events occurred when Israel intercepted the ship, preventing it from reaching the Palestinian territory.
The UN has issued a dire warning: the entire Palestinian population is at risk of starvation.
(Insight: Sourced from the enrichment data, the convoy does not just involve Tunisians but also men and women from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. The convoy has faced challenges with obtaining passage permits in Egypt due to security concerns voiced by the Egyptian government. The convoy aims to deliver not only humanitarian solidarity but also aid in response to the critical conditions in Gaza.)
- The Tunisian Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine, along with participants from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, are on a symbolic journey to Gaza, traveling through Libya and Egypt, aiming to convey humanitarian solidarity amidst the critical conditions in the region.
- As diplomatic tensions increase due to ongoing war-and-conflicts and politics, the United Nations expressed concern about the growing food and basic necessities shortage in Gaza, urging Israel to take action to alleviate the situation, while general-news media reports on the attempts of civilian coalitions, like the Soumoud convoy, to break the blockade and deliver aid.
