As we write these lines, a convoy carrying hundreds of Tunisians is currently traveling from the heart of the Mediterranean Republic in hopes of reaching Rafah, where Gaza’s only border-crossing is located. Aboard vans, buses, and cars, since June 9, a cohort of individuals including different members of civil society has embarked on a symbolic act of defiance to denounce the ongoing siege on Gaza, and show solidarity with the people that inhabit the strip of land the U.N recently described as “the hungriest place on earth.”
The Tunisian land convoy on its way to Gaza. pic.twitter.com/lUGAEbyMET
— Carthage Magazine (@CarthageMagTN) June 9, 2025
Organized independently from, though coinciding with, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition— the aid-ship carrying 12 activists from around the world that was illegally intercepted by Israeli forces this week— the land operation has rallied popular support to add pressure to the urgent calls for an immediate ceasefire as well as a total end to Israel’s blood-stained campaign on the Strip.
Dubbed Soumoud, which translates to resilience, the days-long effort, which can be tracked live, will cross Libya before making its way through Egypt to bring relief to the people of Gaza. In a rare show of Maghrebi solidarity, the convoy is joined by activists from other nations, including Morocco and Algeria, among others. The escort is going against usual tensions and divides, opting instead for a people-powered intervention that reclaims the dignity and agency stripped from the sub-region by decades of internal discord.
“As people struggle for their own civil liberties, it’s bittersweet to see these grassroots movements emerge, sacrificing the little that they have for another injustice to come to an end. That said, their rise is profoundly heartening, and essential,” Ali, a prominent Palestinian activist based in Paris told MILLE. “History will judge this moment not by the statements of officials, but by the courage of those, like Soumoud, who act when institutions fail. When governments prove to be useless, people power is the only force capable of ending these atrocities,” he continued.
Stepping up at a time when most have either shown signs of paralysis, or worse, complicity, Tunisia is, once again, at the forefront of Palestinian support. And while the news of a van, crammed with civilians, trekking to the Holy Land could come as a surprise to some, others will know how this latest act of solidarity inscribes itself in a much longer continuum of principled defiance, where the country has chosen the side of justice, even when the stakes were high and sometimes even against itself.
Two events immediately come to mind for those familiar with Tunisia’s long-standing support for the Palestinian cause. The first is its historic decision to host the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) after it was exiled out of Lebanon during the civil war. For nearly a decade, between 1982 to 1991, Tunis served as the temporary center, and home, of Palestinian political life; an act that reflected not just symbolic backing, but a willingness to take a firm stand on the international stage.
The second, closely tied to that period, is the 1985 Israeli airstrike on Hammam Chott, a suburb just south of the capital. Aimed at undermining the PLO’s activities even from afar, the tragic attack resulted in the deaths of 40 to 70 individuals and served as another reminder of the risks Tunisia took in aligning itself in favor of the Palestinian struggle. Despite all the dangers and threats, the North African country continued to serve as a refuge for the PLO for another six years following the strike.
Today, the country continues to offer refuge to prominent Palestinian figures, including journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, among others, who have found in Tunisia a space of belonging while waiting for the return to a home that is still under siege, whether in Gaza or elsewhere in the occupied territories.
As Soumoud continues on its route, having just reached Tripoli as we publish this piece, we hope the movement, regardless of outcome, will inspire others to take a stand against injustice. And while we wait to see how the rest of their journey unfolds, we’d like to salute those who stepped on the bus while many with the power to make a difference still refuse to take concrete and effective action.
