Zaoua: Land convoy Soumoud to Break the Gaza Siege reached the Libyan city of Zaoua, about 50km west of Tripoli, late on Tuesday afternoon. The convoy is organised by the Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine.

According to Agence Tunis Afrique Presse, participants will spend the night in Joud Dam camp as they prepare for the next stages of the journey to Egypt, then to the Rafah border crossing, before reaching the Gaza Strip. The convoy was greeted by large crowds as it entered Libyan territory, spokesperson Wael Nawar told TAP.

Nearly one thousand Tunisians from across the country are participating in this solidarity drive with Gaza, along with over 140 Algerians and some Moroccan and Mauritanian nationals traveling in buses and passenger cars. They are accompanied by Libyan humanitarian organisations, including the Libyan Red Crescent, and local enforcement forces from the Ras Jedir border crossing to Zaoua.

A meeting is planned for Tuesday evening between the organising committee and representatives of Libyan authorities and civil society at the camp to discuss the journey's details and symbolic artistic and cultural activities on the agenda. Nawar mentioned that some Tunisian participants left the convoy on doctors' recommendations.

The convoy smoothly crossed the border with Libya after pausing in Ben Guerdane. The spokesperson added that aid delivery is not the ultimate goal; rather, the move is intended to apply pressure to open border crossings and secure unimpeded humanitarian access to Rafah.

Representatives of leading Tunisian organisations are participating in the convoy, including the Tunisian General Labour Union, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League of Human Rights, the National Union of Tunisian Journalists, Tunisian Scouts, and student unions, along with doctors, writers, and artists.