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Gaza-Bound Activist Convoy Reaches Libyan Capital

Activists, heading towards Gaza by land with the aim of breaking the Israeli siege on the Palestinian territory, are greeted by Libyans in Tripoli's Martyrs Square on June 11, 2025, one day after crossing into Libya from Tunisia. (AFP)
Activists, heading towards Gaza by land with the aim of breaking the Israeli siege on the Palestinian territory, are greeted by Libyans in Tripoli's Martyrs Square on June 11, 2025, one day after crossing into Libya from Tunisia. (AFP)
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Gaza-Bound Activist Convoy Reaches Libyan Capital

Activists, heading towards Gaza by land with the aim of breaking the Israeli siege on the Palestinian territory, are greeted by Libyans in Tripoli's Martyrs Square on June 11, 2025, one day after crossing into Libya from Tunisia. (AFP)
Activists, heading towards Gaza by land with the aim of breaking the Israeli siege on the Palestinian territory, are greeted by Libyans in Tripoli's Martyrs Square on June 11, 2025, one day after crossing into Libya from Tunisia. (AFP)

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists in a Gaza-bound convoy reached the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Wednesday as they drive eastward in a bid to break Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territory.

The Soumoud convoy -- meaning steadfastness in Arabic -- set off from Tunis in buses and cars on Monday, hoping to pass through divided Libya and Egypt, which organizers say has yet to provide passage permits, to reach Gaza.

It was launched the day Israel intercepted an aid ship also attempting to breach its blockade on Gaza, which was carrying 12 people, including campaigner Greta Thunberg and European parliament member Franco-Palestinian Rima Hassan.

The land convoy was welcomed by hundreds in Tripoli and escorted through the capital by police patrols.

Head of the Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah hailed the convoy as a "fraternal humanitarian initiative" that Libyans "embraced in warmth and solidarity".

"This is another example of Libya's commitment and generosity in support of the people of Gaza under siege and attack," the premier said in a statement.

After 20 months of war, Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies.

The United Nations has said the Palestinian territory was "the hungriest place on Earth".

"This visit brings us joy," said 45-year-old architect Alaa Abdel Razzaq among the crowd in downtown Tripoli welcoming the convoy.

Souhour al-Qatif said the gathering in the capital showed that "the tears of the Libyan people are united with the convoy".

"It's a great feeling," she added. "I feel like I'm not in Libya, but in Gaza, united with my Palestinian brothers."

Organizers have said a dozen buses and around 100 other vehicles were part of the convoy, adding that they expected the number of participants to grow along the way.

Algerian, Mauritanian, Moroccan and Libyan activists were also among the Soumoud group, which is now set to cross eastern Libya, a region controlled by a different administration than Tripoli.

This has cast doubt on whether the activists would reach the border crossing with Egypt, which has yet to grant clearance for the activists to cross.

Convoy spokesman Ghassen Henchiri told Tunisian media on Wednesday discussions were ongoing with Egyptian authorities regarding a permit to cross, "but as of now, we haven't received an official response."

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Arab World

Oil Tanker Hijacked off Yemen, Diverted Towards Somalia

Oil tanker (file photo – Reuters)
Oil tanker (file photo – Reuters)
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Oil Tanker Hijacked off Yemen, Diverted Towards Somalia

Oil tanker (file photo – Reuters)
Oil tanker (file photo – Reuters)

An oil tanker was hijacked on Saturday off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden and taken toward Somalia, the Yemeni coast guard said.

According to the agency, the tanker EUREKA was seized off Shabwa province by unknown individuals who "boarded, took control of it, then steered it... in the direction of the Somali coast".

It also said that the tanker has been located, and efforts are under way to track it and take the necessary measures in an attempt to recover it and ensure the safety of its crew, whose number and nationalities were not specified.

Arab World

Lebanese Divisions over Approach to US Pressure for Aoun–Netanyahu Meeting

A poster depicting the portrait of Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun that reads "The decision-maker, the protector of Lebanon, Lebanon first...The State always. We are with you" hangs at the entrance of a tunnel on a street in Beirut (Photo by Joseph EID / AFP)
A poster depicting the portrait of Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun that reads "The decision-maker, the protector of Lebanon, Lebanon first...The State always. We are with you" hangs at the entrance of a tunnel on a street in Beirut (Photo by Joseph EID / AFP)
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Lebanese Divisions over Approach to US Pressure for Aoun–Netanyahu Meeting

A poster depicting the portrait of Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun that reads "The decision-maker, the protector of Lebanon, Lebanon first...The State always. We are with you" hangs at the entrance of a tunnel on a street in Beirut (Photo by Joseph EID / AFP)
A poster depicting the portrait of Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun that reads "The decision-maker, the protector of Lebanon, Lebanon first...The State always. We are with you" hangs at the entrance of a tunnel on a street in Beirut (Photo by Joseph EID / AFP)

Lebanese political forces are split between those supporting direct negotiations with Israel to end the ongoing war in the south and those opposing them, placing the Lebanese president in a difficult position amid internal divisions that could affect the course of the state. There are warnings that pursuing any option without consensus could have repercussions for unity and internal stability.

In a statement notable for both its timing and content, the US Embassy in Beirut on Thursday called for direct engagement between Lebanon and Israel, saying a direct meeting between Aoun and Netanyahu, mediated by the US president, could give Lebanon an opportunity to obtain tangible guarantees regarding full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian support and reconstruction, and the full restoration of the Lebanese state’s authority over every inch of its territory, guaranteed by the United States.

Hezbollah–Amal alliance

It was not surprising that the “Shiite duo” (Hezbollah and the Amal Movement) fully opposes such a meeting, viewing it as contrary to the path of direct negotiations underway between Lebanon and Israel.

Sources close to the two parties told Asharq Al-Awsat: “There is absolutely no support for this meeting, and a scene like this cannot be accepted. It is true that US pressure is very clear, but there is also Lebanon’s interest and the position of Arab states, which advised the president not to move toward such a meeting and instead to seek, through negotiations, a security arrangement similar to the 1949 armistice agreement, even if with some amendments.”

The sources added that “President Aoun is caught between US pressure on one hand and Arab pressure on the other, and must decide where Lebanon’s interest lies and define its position, role, and future in the region.”

A woman walks past a billboard supporting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun - EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Progressive Socialist Party

The position of the Progressive Socialist Party, expressed by MP Dr. Bilal Abdallah, is not far from that of the “duo.” Abdallah considers that “the meeting is premature, and there are many stages that must be completed before it can take place, most notably consolidating the ceasefire, halting attacks, Israeli withdrawal, and reaching a security agreement based on international agreements (a revised armistice agreement), after which each step can be addressed in due course.”

He stressed the need to respect “the Arab and international ceiling and avoid preempting developments or skipping stages, as the repercussions would be negative for national interest and internal unity.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the day of a summit of the European Union and regional partners' leaders in Nicosia (Lefkosia), Cyprus, April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Lebanese Forces and Kataeb position

By contrast, the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb parties take a different approach. MP Ghada Ayoub of the “Strong Republic” bloc (Lebanese Forces) said her party supports “the negotiating initiative undertaken by Aoun, which falls within the core powers of the president,” leaving it to him to assess its course, including the timing of any meeting or even a potential handshake with Benjamin Netanyahu, whether it should take place now or come as the culmination of negotiations.

She told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We support the president in what he sees as appropriate to save Lebanon and extricate it from this predicament, which has imposed a heavy cost as a result of Hezbollah’s decision to draw Israel into Lebanon. Today it realizes it is unable to remove it, and that the only party capable of doing so is the United States. We saw how President Donald Trump was able to impose a ceasefire on Benjamin Netanyahu despite his team’s insistence on continuing the war.”

Ayoub stressed that “any negotiating track will be tied to clear conditions where the US position intersects with that of the Lebanese government, foremost among them disarmament, preventing Lebanese territory from being used as a launchpad for military operations against Israel, and banning the party’s security and military activities.”

Sources in the Kataeb Party, while confirming significant US pressure to arrange an Aoun–Netanyahu meeting, said such a step requires “historic courage,” adding that “what matters in the end is the outcome, which should be a roadmap for peace.”

Arab World

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Contents of Hamas and Factions’ Response to Mediators’ Amendments and Mladenov

Palestinians take part in a protest against the limited access to medical spare parts and batteries for deaf and hearing-impaired individuals in the Gaza Strip, as they gather in Gaza City, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians take part in a protest against the limited access to medical spare parts and batteries for deaf and hearing-impaired individuals in the Gaza Strip, as they gather in Gaza City, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Contents of Hamas and Factions’ Response to Mediators’ Amendments and Mladenov

Palestinians take part in a protest against the limited access to medical spare parts and batteries for deaf and hearing-impaired individuals in the Gaza Strip, as they gather in Gaza City, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians take part in a protest against the limited access to medical spare parts and batteries for deaf and hearing-impaired individuals in the Gaza Strip, as they gather in Gaza City, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Hamas and Palestinian factions submitted their response at dawn on Saturday to the mediators and the High Representative for Gaza at the Peace Council, Nickolay Mladenov, regarding the amendments paper presented to the factions, which had previously submitted their initial response to the “roadmap” presented on April 19.

The response by Hamas and the Palestinian factions included amendments to some of the points contained in Mladenov’s paper, which Asharq Al-Awsat had disclosed on Friday. These included acceptance by Hamas and the factions of a text acceptable to all parties within the framework of US President Donald Trump’s plan, commitment to what was agreed in Sharm el-Sheikh in full, and acceptance of the recently presented roadmap as a basis for entering negotiations to reach an agreement quickly.

It also stipulated that the issue of weapons be addressed in accordance with Trump’s plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803, and that both continue to be implemented in a way that ensures Palestinians obtain self-determination and establish a sovereign state.

FILE - Board member Nickolay Mladenov speaks after the signing of a Board of Peace charter during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, file)

The response by Hamas and the factions, as revealed by Asharq Al-Awsat, to Mladenov’s amendments expressed appreciation for the mediators’ efforts to reach a text acceptable to all parties within the framework of Trump’s plan, and called for Israel’s full and immediate commitment to the obligations of this text as stipulated in the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, according to an agreed timetable.

It also included approval of the recently submitted roadmap as a basis for entering serious negotiations on its contents, and its implementation after reaching an acceptable agreement as soon as possible, in a way that ensures a ceasefire between the two sides, an end to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, full withdrawal from the Strip, reconstruction, the entry of international forces, addressing the issue of weapons, and transferring governance of the Strip to the national committee with full powers.

It further stressed that the issue of weapons would be handled in connection with the political rights of the Palestinian people, within a national framework, and in the context of establishing the necessary security arrangements as a basis for guaranteeing security for both sides. It added that mediators and all parties should work to achieve the objective stated in Trump’s plan of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state and securing the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

A senior Hamas source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the movement submitted this response on behalf of the Palestinian factions after taking into account observations presented by some factions, noting that there are substantive remarks on Mladenov’s amended paper.

The source indicated that Hamas leadership senses a degree of discomfort among the mediators regarding the submitted response after changes were made to it. This was confirmed by another source from a Palestinian faction whose representatives met Egyptian mediators, who expressed surprise at the manner of the response. Two sources from Palestinian factions represented by delegations in Cairo said that Hamas’s response showed divergence from what some factions had proposed.

A Palestinian child participates in a protest against the shortage of medical equipment and hearing aid batteries for deaf and hearing-impaired individuals in Gaza City on Saturday (AP)

According to the sources, some points of contention relate to the factions’ recommendation for immediate and full implementation of the first phase, as set out in the roadmap, paving the way for the administrative committee to assume its role, and establishing a clear timetable to follow up and monitor implementation of the phase’s provisions in a simultaneous and balanced manner between the parties. This was not addressed by Hamas, particularly regarding simultaneity and balance.

The factions’ remarks stressed that the issue of weapons should be addressed within a political horizon for the Palestinian people in the context of ensuring the success of Trump’s plan and the objectives of the roadmap, and that factions should work to complete this track in a way that enables Palestinians to achieve self-determination and establish their independent state in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that after receiving the Hamas and factions’ response, Mladenov left the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The Hamas delegation may also leave Cairo to participate in completing the election of the head of its political bureau, while contacts and meetings are expected to continue in the coming days.