Latest news with #SumudConvoy
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Prominent Egyptian TV host says Gaza-bound convoy a 'ploy to embarrass' the country
Ahmed Moussa, a prominent pro-government presenter in Egypt, has taken to social media in criticism of a grassroots convoy heading towards Gaza in an attempt to break Israel's siege on the Palestinian enclave, calling the effort a "ploy to embarrass Egypt". The Sumud Convoy - which means steadfastness in Arabic - started in Tunisia this week, with thousands of volunteers from Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco and Algeria. Organisers say they are aiming to raise international awareness about the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave and deliver aid to what the UN has called the "hungriest place on earth". The convoy is projected to reach Cairo by Thursday, though Egyptian officials have yet to authorise its entry into the Sinai Peninsula, where the Rafah crossing to Gaza is located. While the volunteers have received widespread praise and celebration along their journey on the North African coast, some pro-government figures in Egypt claim the plan is a "political scheme" by people affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, which is outlawed in Egypt - labelling it an "anti-Egyptian establishment", as opposed to a pro-Palestinian, effort. One of the loudest critics of the movement is television personality Moussa, who took to X, formerly Twitter, to accuse the convoy of being a "well-planned setup" to cast Egypt in a negative light with regards to the Palestinian cause. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "Everyone must be vigilant to confront this trap that aims to put Egypt in a very embarrassing position, whether it allows the entry or prevents the convoy, and the repercussions of what may happen and the campaigns prepared in advance against the Egyptian state," he said in a post on Tuesday, adding that it was "strange" that the organisers did not choose an "easier and shorter sea route". عندهم البحر المتوسط وسواحلهم والمياه الدولية وينطلقوا منها الى غزة. غير كده غير مسموح. مصر لن تكون ارضا للفوضى مصر دولة لها سياده وعلى الجميع ان يحترمها ولن نسمح لأى تهديد لأمننا. ودا حق شرعى لنا. — القَاَئِد عَبْداللّه ◼️◾▪️ (@alqaeed36) June 10, 2025 Translation: They have the Mediterranean Sea, their coasts, and international waters to launch from to Gaza. Anything beyond that is not allowed. Egypt will not be a land of chaos. Egypt is a sovereign state, and everyone must respect that. We will not allow any threat to our security. This is our legitimate right. "Will the convoy save Gaza or is its goal media hype? The issue is not easy but rather carefully planned and the goal is to embarrass Egypt and not Israel," he continued. His sentiment was echoed by other pro-government voices on social media, who accused the convoy volunteers of being "actors", 'exploit[ing] the Palestinian cause', and posing a national security threat. دا مخطط له من دواعش الإخوان لإدخال مصر في مواجهة مع امريكا و النيل من سمعتها. على مصر التعامل بحزم و لي عايز يروح غزة عندهم البحر أو على الأقل التنسيق مع البلد الممر و ليس من هب و دب يدخل. — ❤️🇲🇦 سارة 🇸🇦❤️🇦🇪 (@Schauer100) June 10, 2025 Translation: This is a plot by the Muslim Brotherhood's ISIS members to pit Egypt against America and tarnish its reputation. Egypt must deal firmly, and anyone who wants to go to Gaza can go to the sea, or at least coordinate with the transit country, so that anyone who wants to go can't enter. Another prominent presenter, Hossam al-Ghamry, said the convoy was a "clear ploy" by the Muslim Brotherhood in a series of posts on X. "If the convoy reaches the borders with Gaza, it will force [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to occupy Sinai to secure his borders and expel Palestinians into Egypt," he said. 'We wish the heroes safety' Many Egyptians on social media have countered these posts with comments voicing their support for the movement. Several people commented directly under Moussa's post, calling the land route the "logical" and "most appropriate" route given that Gaza would not be able to receive international ships. Others countered the claims that the convoy was a publicity stunt. بناءا على تغريدة هالعرص الأمنجي فالنظام المصير ممانع لدخول القافلة — Suhayb (@ThisIsSuhayb) June 10, 2025 Translation: Based on this security official's tweet, the regime is preventing the convoy from entering. One Facebook user commented: "the convoy includes doctors and elderly men and women that do not care for the media but are trying to do what they can". Some users were more harsh in their criticism. "The regime's mouthpiece claims that the land convoy is a trap set to put Egypt in an embarrassing position," said one user. "We wish the heroes of the convoy safety until they reach Gaza. And they bring in the aid piled up in Rafah." Others argued that Moussa's post was an indication that the Egyptian goverment would block the convoy. The volunteers for the Sumud convoy, led by the Joint Action for Palestine, reportedly include trade union and political figures, as well as human rights activists, athletes, lawyers, doctors, journalists and members of youth organisations. The group is part of the larger Global March to Gaza movement, which includes approximately 2,000 to 3,000 activists from around 50 countries who are expected to fly into Cairo on 12 June. Both the activists and volunteers on the Sumud convoy are expected to coordinate to march to the Rafah crossing together, a move they hope will pressure the international community to force Israel to end the bombardment and siege of Gaza, which has killed over 55,000 Palestinians and wounded over 127,000 more.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
What is the Global March to Gaza all about?
Thousands of activists from across the globe are marching to the Gaza Strip to try to break Israel's suffocating siege and draw international attention to the genocide it is perpetrating there. Approximately 1,000 people participating in the Tunisian-led stretch of the Global March to Gaza, known as the Sumud Convoy, arrived in Libya on Tuesday morning, a day after they departed the Tunisian capital, Tunis. They are now resting in Libya after a full day of travel, but do not yet have permission to cross the eastern part of the North African country. The group, which mostly comprises citizens of the Maghreb, the Northwest African region, is expected to grow as people join from countries it passes through as it makes its way towards the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. How will they do it? When will they get there? What is this all about? Here's all you need to know: The Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine is leading the Sumud Convoy, which is tied to the Global March for Palestine. In total, there are about 1,000 people, travelling on a nine-bus convoy, with the aim of pressurising world leaders to take action on Gaza. Sumud is supported by the Tunisian General Labour Union, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights. It is coordinating with activists and individuals from 50 countries who are flying into the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on June 12, so that they can all march to Rafah together. Some of those activists are affiliated with an umbrella of grassroots organisations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Codepink Women for Peace in the United States and Jewish Voice for Labour in the United Kingdom. The convoy of cars and buses has reached Libya. After taking a brief rest, the plan is for it to continue towards Cairo. 'Most people around me are feeling courage and anger [about what's happening in Gaza],' said Ghaya Ben Mbarek, an independent Tunisian journalist who joined the march just before the convoy crossed into Libya. Ben Mbarek is driven by the belief that, as a journalist, she has to 'stand on the right side of history by stopping a genocide and stopping people from dying from hunger'. Once Sumud links up with fellow activists in Cairo, they will head to El Arish in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and then embark on a three-day march to the Rafah crossing to Gaza. The convoy has yet to receive permission to pass through eastern Libya from authorities in the region. Libya has two rival administrations, and while the convoy has been welcomed in the west, discussions are still ongoing with authorities in the east, an official from the convoy told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. The activists had previously told The Associated Press news agency they do not expect to be allowed into Gaza, yet they hope their journey will pressure world leaders to force Israel to end its genocidal war. Another concern lies in Egypt, which classifies the stretch between El Arish and the Rafah border crossing as a military zone and does not allow anyone to enter unless they live there. The Egyptian government has not issued a statement on whether it will allow the Global March to Gaza to pass through its territory. 'I doubt they would be allowed to march towards Rafah,' a longtime Egyptian activist, whose name is being withheld for their safety, said. 'It's always national security first,' they told Al Jazeera. If the convoy makes it to Rafah, it will have to face the Israeli army at the crossing. Palestine supporters have tried everything over the years as Gaza suffered. Since Israel's genocidal war began 20 months ago, civilians have protested in major capitals and taken legal action against elected officials for abetting Israel's mass killing campaign in Gaza. Activists have sailed on several humanitarian aid boats towards Gaza, trying to break a stifling blockade that Israel has imposed since 2007; all were attacked or intercepted by Israel. In 2010, in international waters, Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, one of the six boats in the Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza. They killed nine people, and one more person died of their wounds later. The Freedom Flotilla kept trying as Gaza suffered one Israeli assault after another. Israel's current war on Gaza prompted 12 activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to set sail on board the Madleen from Italy on June 1, hoping to pressure world governments to stop Israel's genocide. However, the activists were abducted by Israeli forces in international waters on June 9. The activists will try, even if they are pretty sure they will not get into Gaza. They say standing idle will only enable Israel to continue its genocide until the people of Gaza are all dead or ethnically cleansed. 'The message people here want to send to the world is that even if you stop us by sea, or air, then we will come, by the thousands, by land,' said Ben Mbarek. 'We will literally cross deserts … to stop people from dying from hunger,' she told Al Jazeera. Since Israel began its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has strangled the food and supplies entering the Palestinian enclave, engineering a famine that has likely killed thousands and could kill hundreds of thousands more. Israel has carpet-bombed Gaza, killing at least 54,927 people and injuring more than 126,000. Legal scholars previously told Al Jazeera the suffering in Gaza suggests Israel is deliberately inflicting conditions to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in whole or in part – the precise definition of genocide. Global outrage has grown as Israel continues to kill civilians in thousands, including children, aid workers, medics and journalists. Since March, Israel has tightened its chokehold on Gaza, completely stopping aid and then shooting at people lining up for what little aid it allows in, leading to rare statements of condemnation from Western governments.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Explainer: What is the Global March to Gaza all about?
Thousands of activists from across the globe are marching to the Gaza Strip to try to break Israel's suffocating siege and draw international attention to the genocide it is perpetrating there. Approximately 1,000 people participating in the Tunisian-led stretch of the Global March to Gaza, known as the Sumud Convoy, arrived in Libya on Tuesday morning, a day after they departed the Tunisian capital, Tunis. They are now resting in Libya after a full day of travel, but do not yet have permission to cross the eastern part of the North African country. The group, which mostly comprises citizens of the Maghreb, the Northwest African region, is expected to grow as people join from countries it passes through as it makes its way towards the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. How will they do it? When will they get there? What is this all about? Here's all you need to know: The Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine is leading the Sumud Convoy, which is tied to the Global March for Palestine. In total, there are about 1,000 people, travelling on a nine-bus convoy, with the aim of pressurising world leaders to take action on Gaza. Sumud is supported by the Tunisian General Labour Union, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights. It is coordinating with activists and individuals from 50 countries who are flying into the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on June 12, so that they can all march to Rafah together. Some of those activists are affiliated with an umbrella of grassroots organisations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Codepink Women for Peace in the United States and Jewish Voice for Labour in the United convoy of cars and buses has reached Libya. After taking a brief rest, the plan is for it to continue towards Cairo. 'Most people around me are feeling courage and anger [about what's happening in Gaza],' said Ghaya Ben Mbarek, an independent Tunisian journalist who joined the march just before the convoy crossed into Libya. Ben Mbarek is driven by the belief that, as a journalist, she has to 'stand on the right side of history by stopping a genocide and stopping people from dying from hunger'. Once Sumud links up with fellow activists in Cairo, they will head to El Arish in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and then embark on a three-day march to the Rafah crossing to Gaza. The convoy has yet to receive permission to pass through eastern Libya from authorities in the region. Libya has two rival administrations, and while the convoy has been welcomed in the west, discussions are still ongoing with authorities in the east, an official from the convoy told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. The activists had previously told The Associated Press news agency they do not expect to be allowed into Gaza, yet they hope their journey will pressure world leaders to force Israel to end its genocidal war. Another concern lies in Egypt, which classifies the stretch between El Arish and the Rafah border crossing as a military zone and does not allow anyone to enter unless they live there. The Egyptian government has not issued a statement on whether it will allow the Global March to Gaza to pass through its territory. 'I doubt they would be allowed to march towards Rafah,' a longtime Egyptian activist, whose name is being withheld for their safety, said. 'It's always national security first,' they told Al Jazeera. If the convoy makes it to Rafah, it will have to face the Israeli army at the supporters have tried everything over the years as Gaza suffered. Since Israel's genocidal war began 20 months ago, civilians have protested in major capitals and taken legal action against elected officials for abetting Israel's mass killing campaign in Gaza. Activists have sailed on several humanitarian aid boats towards Gaza, trying to break a stifling blockade that Israel has imposed since 2007; all were attacked or intercepted by Israel. In 2010, in international waters, Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, one of the six boats in the Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza. They killed nine people, and one more person died of their wounds later. The Freedom Flotilla kept trying as Gaza suffered one Israeli assault after another. Israel's current war on Gaza prompted 12 activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to set sail on board the Madleen from Italy on June 1, hoping to pressure world governments to stop Israel's genocide. However, the activists were abducted by Israeli forces in international waters on June 9. The activists will try, even if they are pretty sure they will not get into Gaza. They say standing idle will only enable Israel to continue its genocide until the people of Gaza are all dead or ethnically cleansed. 'The message people here want to send to the world is that even if you stop us by sea, or air, then we will come, by the thousands, by land,' said Ben Mbarek. 'We will literally cross deserts … to stop people from dying from hunger,' she told Al Israel began its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has strangled the food and supplies entering the Palestinian enclave, engineering a famine that has likely killed thousands and could kill hundreds of thousands more. Israel has carpet-bombed Gaza, killing at least 54,927 people and injuring more than 126,000. Legal scholars previously told Al Jazeera the suffering in Gaza suggests Israel is deliberately inflicting conditions to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in whole or in part – the precise definition of genocide. Global outrage has grown as Israel continues to kill civilians in thousands, including children, aid workers, medics and journalists. Since March, Israel has tightened its chokehold on Gaza, completely stopping aid and then shooting at people lining up for what little aid it allows in, leading to rare statements of condemnation from Western governments.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Explainer: What is the Global March to Gaza all about?
Thousands of activists from across the globe are marching to the Gaza Strip to try to break Israel's suffocating siege and draw international attention to the genocide it is perpetrating there. Approximately 1,000 people participating in the Tunisian-led stretch of the Global March to Gaza, known as the Sumud Convoy, arrived in Libya on Tuesday morning, a day after they departed the Tunisian capital, Tunis. They are now resting in Libya after a full day of travel, but do not yet have permission to cross the eastern part of the North African country. The group, which mostly comprises citizens of the Maghreb, the Northwest African region, is expected to grow as people join from countries it passes through as it makes its way towards the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. How will they do it? When will they get there? What is this all about? Here's all you need to know: The Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine is leading the Sumud Convoy, which is tied to the Global March for Palestine. In total, there are about 1,000 people, travelling on a nine-bus convoy, with the aim of pressurising world leaders to take action on Gaza. Sumud is supported by the Tunisian General Labour Union, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights. It is coordinating with activists and individuals from 50 countries who are flying into the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on June 12, so that they can all march to Rafah together. Some of those activists are affiliated with an umbrella of grassroots organisations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Codepink Women for Peace in the United States and Jewish Voice for Labour in the United Kingdom. The convoy of cars and buses has reached Libya. After taking a brief rest, the plan is for it to continue towards Cairo. 'Most people around me are feeling courage and anger [about what's happening in Gaza],' said Ghaya Ben Mbarek, an independent Tunisian journalist who joined the march just before the convoy crossed into Libya. Ben Mbarek is driven by the belief that, as a journalist, she has to 'stand on the right side of history by stopping a genocide and stopping people from dying from hunger'. Once Sumud links up with fellow activists in Cairo, they will head to El Arish in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and then embark on a three-day march to the Rafah crossing to Gaza. The convoy has yet to receive permission to pass through eastern Libya from authorities in the region. Libya has two rival administrations, and while the convoy has been welcomed in the west, discussions are still ongoing with authorities in the east, an official from the convoy told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. The activists had previously told The Associated Press news agency they do not expect to be allowed into Gaza, yet they hope their journey will pressure world leaders to force Israel to end its genocidal war. Another concern lies in Egypt, which classifies the stretch between El Arish and the Rafah border crossing as a military zone and does not allow anyone to enter unless they live there. The Egyptian government has not issued a statement on whether it will allow the Global March to Gaza to pass through its territory. 'I doubt they would be allowed to march towards Rafah,' a longtime Egyptian activist, whose name is being withheld for their safety, said. 'It's always national security first,' they told Al Jazeera. If the convoy makes it to Rafah, it will have to face the Israeli army at the crossing. Palestine supporters have tried everything over the years as Gaza suffered. Since Israel's genocidal war began 20 months ago, civilians have protested in major capitals and taken legal action against elected officials for abetting Israel's mass killing campaign in Gaza. Activists have sailed on several humanitarian aid boats towards Gaza, trying to break a stifling blockade that Israel has imposed since 2007; all were attacked or intercepted by Israel. In 2010, in international waters, Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, one of the six boats in the Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza. They killed nine people, and one more person died of their wounds later. The Freedom Flotilla kept trying as Gaza suffered one Israeli assault after another. Israel's current war on Gaza prompted 12 activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to set sail on board the Madleen from Italy on June 1, hoping to pressure world governments to stop Israel's genocide. However, the activists were abducted by Israeli forces in international waters on June 9. The activists will try, even if they are pretty sure they will not get into Gaza. They say standing idle will only enable Israel to continue its genocide until the people of Gaza are all dead or ethnically cleansed. 'The message people here want to send to the world is that even if you stop us by sea, or air, then we will come, by the thousands, by land,' said Ben Mbarek. 'We will literally cross deserts … to stop people from dying from hunger,' she told Al Jazeera. Since Israel began its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has strangled the food and supplies entering the Palestinian enclave, engineering a famine that has likely killed thousands and could kill hundreds of thousands more. Israel has carpet-bombed Gaza, killing at least 54,927 people and injuring more than 126,000. Legal scholars previously told Al Jazeera the suffering in Gaza suggests Israel is deliberately inflicting conditions to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in whole or in part – the precise definition of genocide. Global outrage has grown as Israel continues to kill civilians in thousands, including children, aid workers, medics and journalists. Since March, Israel has tightened its chokehold on Gaza, completely stopping aid and then shooting at people lining up for what little aid it allows in, leading to rare statements of condemnation from Western governments.
