A 200-strong, 30-vehicle convoy bound for Gaza was halted outside Sirte, and ten activists were detained, the Global Sumud Flotilla said on May 26, 2026. The detainees include participants from several European countries and the United States, the flotilla said. Organizers said eastern-aligned forces blocked the route after the convoy tried to push through a checkpoint, and negotiations with eastern authorities in Benghazi stalled. The group, roughly 200 activists traveling from western Libya in converted vehicles, is urging national governments and eastern officials to secure the detainees' release so the mission can continue.

Ten people were taken into custody after forces affiliated with the Libyan Arab Armed Forces stopped the convoy at a checkpoint outside Sirte, the Global Sumud Flotilla said. The arrests followed an attempt by the group to cross into territory controlled by eastern authorities, the flotilla and local reporting said.

The convoy launched from Zalitan the previous weekend, and a press release from the Global Sumud Flotilla said the group numbered roughly 200 activists traveling in about 30 vehicles, many converted into mobile homes. But organizers had planned to drive along Libya's eastward corridor toward Benghazi and onward to Gaza as part of a larger humanitarian mission.

Forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar, or otherwise aligned with the Libyan Arab Armed Forces, stopped the convoy after activists tried to push through a Sirte checkpoint on Sunday, the flotilla and local reporting said. Communications with a contingent that attempted to cross then became inconsistent, prompting the flotilla to issue an alert on Monday.

Eastern security officials told convoy organizers that passage required authorization from Benghazi, and the convoy’s steering committee decided to halt. And organizers said they planned to camp near the outskirts of Sirte until the dispute was resolved. Local reporting attributed the halt in part to internal divisions among eastern security and military factions: one Salafist-leaning group reportedly opposed passage outright, while another faction sought to prevent Libyan youth in the convoy from proceeding out of concern for potential clashes with Haftar-aligned forces along the route to Benghazi.

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Organizers say the land convoy is part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian initiative that aims to deliver ambulances, medical supplies, food and reconstruction materials to Gaza while challenging the blockade.

Activists described a trans-Saharan route that began in Mauritania and passed through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia before entering Libya.

Tunisian activist Jawaher Shanna, speaking to a regional outlet, said participants from Tunisia, Algeria and Libya remained determined to continue the mission and that the convoy had already covered 1,000 kilometers. The flotilla said activists had been welcomed in some Libyan towns along the way but became stranded near Sirte after the checkpoint confrontation.

The arrests include activists from several European countries and the United States, the flotilla said. Organizers released pre-recorded video appeals from a number of convoy members after the detentions, the flotilla said.

Rights groups have warned that fighters loyal to Khalifa Haftar have a recorded history of arbitrary detention and torture, raising concern for the safety of the detained participants. Organizers urged supporters to press national governments to intervene and to push the Government of National Stability in eastern Libya to secure the activists’ release.

The convoy’s campaign ran in parallel with a maritime element that the flotilla and local reporting said had been intercepted by Israeli naval forces the previous week. In a statement the flotilla said, "The genocide and blockade on Gaza continue, and the Palestinian people can't wait for bureaucratic absurdity to receive relief and aid."

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Ten activists remain detained as organizers press Benghazi for authorization to continue toward Gaza; the key developments to watch are whether eastern authorities grant passage or formally charge the detainees. Originally reported by aljazeera.com.

This article was created with AI assistance.