How a Gaza-bound aid convoy unravelled attempting to enter Haftar-controlled eastern Libya

How a Gaza-bound aid convoy unravelled attempting to enter Haftar-controlled eastern Libya Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Wed, 05/27/2026 - 13:50 Communication breakdowns, raids by armed militias and abductions derail Global Sumud Convoy A billboard bearing the image of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar stands in the Ras al-Alba region of southeastern Libya on 16 May 2026 (Abdullah Doma/AFP) Off Israeli forces’ seizure of activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla en route to Gaza and the mistreatment they endured made headlines last week. But around 2,000km to the west, the land-based affiliate of the pro-Palestinian aid movement also ran into trouble on its journey to the besieged enclave. More than 200 activists with the Global Sumud Convoy entered the 5+5 security zone near the Libyan city of Sirte, a contested area established under the country’s October 2020 ceasefire agreement, hoping to negotiate safe passage onwards to Gaza.