Thousands join Maghreb convoy to Rafah in solidarity with Gaza

A massive convoy of more than 7,000 volunteers from across the Maghreb (region comprising western and central North Africa) departed Tunisia on Monday and headed toward the Rafah border crossing in a bold show of solidarity with the besieged Palestinian people in Gaza.

The initiative, organised by the Coordinating Committee for Joint Action for Palestine in Tunisia, aimed to demand an end to the Israeli genocide, break the ongoing siege, and deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The convoy dubbed the “Caravan of Steadfastness”, will include participants from Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania, and it will travel from several major Tunisian cities, including Tunis, Sousse, Sfax, and Gabès. 

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The volunteers will convene in Ben Gardane, near the Tunisian-Libyan border, before crossing into Libya at Ras Jedir, continuing along the Libyan coastal road to Cairo, and then onward to Al-Arish and Rafah on the Egyptian-Palestinian border.

“The convoy is a message of solidarity, resistance, and support for the Palestinian people under siege in Gaza,” said Wael Nawar, spokesperson for the Caravan, who confirmed that over 7,000 people had registered by May 30.

The convoy was composed of a broad coalition of union leaders, political figures, doctors, journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, and youth organisations. 

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It has gained the official backing of several major Tunisian institutions, including The Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), Tunisian Journalists Syndicate, National Bar Association of Tunisia, Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights, Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, the Tunisian Medical Council, and Organization of Young Doctors.

The Coordinating Committee has also published detailed schedules and routes for departures from all participating Tunisian cities.

As humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate, this unprecedented Maghreb-wide mobilisation reflected growing public pressure across North Africa to break the blockade and hold Israel accountable for its ongoing military actions in the Strip.

Whether the convoy will be allowed access through Rafah, a crossing tightly controlled by Egyptian and Israeli authorities, remains uncertain.