North African convoy for Gaza reports mistreatment in eastern Libya by Haftar forces

A North African aid convoy that departed from Tunisia to break the Israeli siege of Gaza has reported that its activists were mistreated and arrested in eastern Libya during the weekend.

The "Sumud" convoy departed from Tunis on 9 June, consisting of about 10 buses, a hundred cars, and thousands of volunteers from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Mauritania, among others.

It aims to raise international awareness about the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s war on the Palestinian enclave and deliver aid.

But organisers said on Sunday that while en route to Egypt, the caravan was blocked in Sirte by authorities from eastern Libya.

In a statement on Saturday, the Joint Action Coordination Committee for Palestine, the organiser of the convoy, said they had been facing a "military blockade" and "a methodical siege” at the entrance to Sirte since Friday.

The statement accused Haftar's authorities of not only blocking the convoy's advance but also isolating it by cutting off communication and the internet. Haftar's forces are also accused of preventing the delivery of food, water and medical supplies to the approximately 1,500 participants.

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