Tunisian Activists Launch Bus Convoy Toward Gaza to Challenge Blockade

Hundreds of Tunisian demonstrators have begun a land convoy headed toward Gaza in what organizers describe as an effort to challenge the security blockade on the coastal enclave.

According to those behind the initiative, the caravan, made up of nine buses, is not delivering humanitarian supplies. Instead, its purpose is to stage a public spectacle of defiance against the blockade on Gaza, placed by Israel to pressure Hamas terrorists into releasing its hostages and prevent weapons from reaching Hamas.

Named “Soumoud,” which translates to “steadfastness” in Arabic, the convoy includes several doctors and aims to reach Rafah, located in southern Gaza, by the end of the week, said activist Jawaher Channa in a statement to AFP.

“We are about a thousand people, and we will have more join us along the way,” said Channa, spokesperson for the Tunisian Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine, the organization behind the initiative.

Earlier this month, on June 1, a separate mission departed from Italy aboard the Madleen aid boat, carrying international activists including Swedish climate advocate Greta Thunberg and Franco-Palestinian European Parliament member Rima Hassan. However, early this morning, the vessel, affiliated with the same group which attacked Israeli soldiers in 2010 on another flotilla, was intercepted by Israel and barred from continuing to Gaza.