Eastern Libya releases all 10 Gaza aid convoy activists after 35-day detention; Haftar-linked forces had blocked their passage
The eastern Libyan government freed the remaining six activists from the Global Sumud Land Caravan on June 29, following four released on June 24; the ten nationals from eight countries were arrested on May 24 by forces aligned with Khalifa Haftar's LAAF as they sought to negotiate passage through Sirte on a land route to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza
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Summary
Eastern Libya's authorities released all 10 members of the Global Sumud Land Caravan on June 29, 2026, ending a 35-day detention. The activists, aged 30 to 70 and from eight countries including Argentina, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Uruguay, and the USA, were arrested on May 24 by forces aligned with Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces as they sought to negotiate passage through Sirte on a road route to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Four were released on June 24; the remaining six followed on June 29. The group had staged a hunger strike from June 1 to protest their imprisonment and the denial of access to lawyers.
Why it matters
The arrest and detention of international humanitarian activists by an armed faction with no UN-recognized authority underlines how Libya's divided governance structure is being weaponized in the geopolitics of the Gaza blockade. The release, under sustained international pressure including from Amnesty International and UN rights experts, signals that reputational cost eventually forced Haftar's forces to act.