Latest news with #Tunisian-Libyan
Sinar Daily
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Sinar Daily
Thousands join Maghreb Resilience Convoy to Gaza, demanding end to Israeli's genocide
SHAH ALAM - Thousands of North African volunteers launched the Maghreb Resilience Convoy from Tunisia this week, embarking on a land journey to Gaza in an effort to break Israel's prolonged siege. The convoy also aimed to deliver humanitarian aid and demand an end to what organisers describe as a 'genocide committed by the Israeli enemy.' Organised by the Joint Action Coordination for Palestine in Tunisia, the convoy set off simultaneously from the cities of Tunis, Sousse, Sfax and Gabes. The route would take them south to Ben Guerdane, across the Tunisian-Libyan border at Ras Jedir, through Libya and into Egypt, with the final goal of reaching Rafah and delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza. "The convoy will express solidarity with the Palestinian people under siege and deliver humanitarian aid to them. '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 coordination group said in a statement. Tunisians gather at a meeting point in Tunisian capital Tunis ahead of the departure of a land convoy aiming to break Israel's siege on Gaza, on 9 June. Photo by Fathi Belaid/AFP The convoy comprised more than 1,000 activists and 7,000 total registrants from across the Maghreb region, including Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania. Among the participants were trade unionists, political figures, human rights defenders, lawyers, doctors, journalists and youth activists. Wael Nouar, spokesperson for the convoy, confirmed the scale of the mobilisation. "The convoy has registered the participation of more than 7,000 people of various Maghreb nationalities as of May 30. The convoy will include delegations from Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and thousands from Tunisia and Libya. We will proceed directly to Cairo, then to Arish in Egypt and Rafah,' he said. As the convoy left Tunisia's capital at 8.30am local time on June 10, hundreds of citizens lined the streets, waving Palestinian and Tunisian flags in a powerful visual of public support. Many had gathered as early as 4am on Avenue Mohammed V in Tunis to register and assist with logistical arrangements. Jawaher Channa, a member of the organising committee, said preparations were complete. 'Together with our Algerian brothers and sisters, over 1,000 participants have been distributed across 12 buses and 100 vehicles. More will join along the way before it reaches Gaza,' she said. Medical coordinator Mohamed Amine Bennour emphasised that the convoy was part of a larger, global movement. 'This convoy is part of a global initiative involving more than 30 countries from Europe, South America and Southeast Asia. We are moving in coordination with various organizations aiming to reach Gaza by land, sea and air. 'After crossing Tunisia, we plan to reach the Gaza Strip via Libya and Egypt. We are coordinating with initiatives such as the March on Gaza, the Global March on Gaza and the Freedom Flotilla, which consists of many ships,' he said. Tunisian civil society has shown overwhelming support for the land convoy. Organisations backing the initiative include the Tunisian General Labour Union, the Tunisian Journalists' Syndicate, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights, the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, the Tunisian Medical Association and the Organisation of Young Doctors. The convoy is expected to arrive in Cairo by today and in Rafah by Sunday. Meanwhile, a separate initiative is also underway; over 1,000 activists from 32 countries are planning a demonstration at the Rafah border crossing on June 15. The activists will first gather in Cairo on June 12, then travel to the border town of Arish before marching 50 kilometers to Rafah over three days. The urgency of these movements is underlined by Gaza's worsening humanitarian catastrophe. Since Oct 7, 2023, Israeli air and ground operations, backed by the United States (US) and Europe, have devastated Gaza, killing 54,927 people, most of whom are children and women and injuring 126,615 others, according to figures released by the convoy's organisers. Thousands more remain trapped beneath rubble or unreachable due to the siege. Aid agencies have warned that Gaza's 2.4 million residents face imminent famine due to Israel's continued closure of border crossings since early March. The International Criminal Court last November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. As convoys, flotillas and marches grow in number, the Maghreb Resilience Convoy stands as a resounding symbol of cross-border unity, civil resistance and an urgent plea to stop the suffering in Gaza.
Middle East Eye
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
North African 'resilience convoy' heads to Gaza, aiming to break Israel's siege
A grassroots land convoy is travelling thousands of kilometres from the Tunisian capital to Gaza on Monday, in the hopes of breaking Israel's debilitating 18-year siege on the war-battered Palestinian enclave. Thousands of volunteers from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia left the Tunisian capital in a 100-vehicle convoy to raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and deliver life-saving aid, organisers said. The United Nations has described Gaza as the "hungriest place on Earth", with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death. "The convoy will express solidarity with the Palestinian people under siege and deliver humanitarian aid to them," the coordination group said in a statement. "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," it added. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The "Soumoud" convoy, which means resilience and steadfastness in Arabic, is reported to include trade union and political figures, as well as human rights activists, athletes, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and members of youth organisations. It remains unclear, however, whether the convoy will actually reach the besieged Gaza Strip, as Egyptian officials have yet to authorise the convoy's entry into North Sinai. "This is a message to the people of Gaza: You are not alone," Sheikh Yahya Sari, a member of the Algerian Association of Muslim Scholars, said in a Facebook post. "We share your pain, and this is a form of public pressure against the occupier in the face of international failure to stop the massacres." Earlier on Monday, Israeli forces seized control of a charity vessel aiming to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip and detained its crew of 12, including activist Greta Thunberg. Gaza flotilla: The Madleen shows us the world as it could be Read More » The British-flagged yacht Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula, to Gaza later on Monday. However, the boat was intercepted in the early hours of Monday, hours after Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said that Israel's military would use "any means necessary" to stop it from breaching the naval blockade of Gaza. 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. In 2010, the Mavi Marmara flotilla mission was attacked by Israeli forces who boarded the ship and killed ten activists. And last month, another vessel organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Conscience, failed to continue its journey to Gaza after being struck by two drones near Maltese waters. Since October 2023, over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, according to Palestinian health and government officials, including more than 28,000 women and girls. The figure also includes at least 1,400 health sector professionals, 280 UN aid workers - the highest staff death toll in UN history - and nearly 190 journalists, the highest number of media workers killed in conflict since the Committee to Protect Journalists began recording data in 1992.
African Manager
10-02-2025
- African Manager
Tunisia: Passenger traffic via Dhehiba reaches 1.1 million in 2024
Passenger traffic at the Tunisian-Libyan border crossing of Wazin-Dhehiba reached approximately 1.1 million passengers in 2024, compared to only 688,000 in 2023, Rached Haddad, the delegate of Dhehiba said in a statement to a local media outlet. Of the total, 618,000 passengers entered Tunisia, while 482,000 left the country. In 2023, only 688,000 passengers had crossed the Tunisian-Libyan border, with 417,000 entering and 271,000 exiting Tunisia. The delegate also noted that commercial traffic increased by 50%. In 2023, approximately 23,100 trucks passed through the border (12,560 entering and 10,540 exiting), while in 2024, the number of commercial trucks reached around 55,100 (29,300 entering and 25,700 exiting). These figures confirm the growing movement of people and goods between the two neighboring countries through their second land border crossing, located 303 km south of Tripoli, on the other side of the Western Nafusa Mountains. The Ras Jdir border crossing, situated along the coast (175 km west of Tripoli), remains by far the busiest land border crossing between the two countries.
