A grassroots pro-Palestine convoy spearheaded in Tunisia is rallying thousands across North Africa in a bold push to end Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The Maghreb Resistance Convoy, which kicked off in Tunisia on Monday, brings together nearly 2,000 activists from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, and Libya, in what organizers describe as a unified cry for justice in the face of Israeli genocide in Gaza.

The convoy, part of the broader Sumud (Steadfastness) campaign under the Global March to Gaza initiative, reached the Libyan city of Zawiya on Tuesday after an arduous day-long journey across borders.

Traveling in over 120 vehicles and 12 buses, the convoy plans to continue eastward through Misrata and onward to Egypt, where it hopes to gain access to Gaza via the Rafah crossing. However, Egyptian authorities have yet to grant official permission, leaving the convoy’s path uncertain.

“This initiative emerged from Tunisia but resonates across the Arab world,” Tunisian activist and co-organizer told PRC. “It is part of a global movement by land, sea, and air to break Israel’s inhumane siege and deliver aid where governments have failed.”

Activists are carrying humanitarian and financial aid for besieged Gazans, with support pouring in from nearly 50 countries. High-profile participants include journalists, politicians, and human rights defenders, many of whom have sharply criticized the silence of Arab governments.

“The point is not only to condemn Israeli crimes,” said the activist. “It is also to expose the shameful silence of those in the Arab world who have chosen complicity through inaction.”

Convoy spokesperson Nabil Channoufi confirmed that a meeting was held with the Egyptian ambassador in Tunis, but no commitment was made regarding access through Egyptian territory. Still, Channoufi remains hopeful. “We believe our mission aligns with Egypt’s interest, and we urge its government to stand with justice.”

The convoy marks one of the most significant regional mobilizations since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in 2023. Organizers say that regardless of whether they are allowed to reach Rafah, the message is clear: civil society in North Africa is refusing to remain silent in the face of genocide.