Egypt Daily News – On Monday, the overland aid convoy known as Qafilat al-Sumoud “Caravan of Steadfastness to Gaza”, which set out for Gaza to break the blockade, announced that it has decided to return to Tunisia. The decision came after Libyan authorities informed the organizers that Egypt had denied the necessary permits for the caravan to cross into Gaza, despite organizers claiming that all legal and diplomatic channels had been followed, including through Egypt’s embassy in Tunisia.
According to a statement cited by Mosaique FM, the caravan stated that it had exhausted all possible routes to access Gaza by land and that using the sea route from Libya was not feasible. As a result, it would return to Tunisia to explore other alternatives to support Gaza and challenge the blockade.
The caravan emphasized that its decision to return was also contingent on the release of several detained participants. It vowed not to leave Libya until all detainees were freed and confirmed it would remain in place peacefully. Additionally, the caravan announced a suspension of accepting new participants until a future course of action is clarified, and it works to organize the return of those who wish to go back, again stressing the need to secure the release of all arrested individuals.
The caravan’s movement was blocked by Libyan authorities near the entrance of the city of Sirte, amid conflicting reports about the reasons for the obstruction. At the same time, the wider “Global March to Gaza” is reportedly facing security challenges across several regions.
The caravan, which departed from Tunisia and includes over 1,500 activists from Arab countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, and Mauritania, has faced numerous administrative and security obstacles in both Libya and Egypt. According to media reports, convoy organizer Wael Nouar stated that the caravan was halted by security forces in Sirte without any clear official explanation. Some sources suggested that crossing into Egypt might still be possible, while others outright denied any approval from the Egyptian side.
Nouar also indicated that internet access was cut for the caravan in eastern Libya, further hindering communications.
Earlier last week, Egypt had issued a formal statement, through its Foreign Ministry welcoming international and regional support for Palestinian rights and condemning Israel’s war and humanitarian violations in Gaza. Egypt affirmed its commitment to working with all concerned parties to end the aggression and alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe affecting over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.
