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TUNIS: Pro-Palestinian activists on a march aiming to break Israel鈥檚 Gaza blockade have retreated to the Misrata region of western Libya after being blocked by the authorities in the country鈥檚 east, organizers said on Sunday.

The 鈥淪oumoud鈥� convoy 鈥� meaning steadfastness in Arabic 鈥� decided to fall back near Misrata, about 200 km east of Tripoli, after being stopped by the eastern authorities.

Misrata is administered by the UN-recognized Government of National Unity based in Tripoli, while military commander Khalifa Haftar controls the east.

The convoy of more than 1,000 people from Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, and Tunisia had been under a 鈥渕ilitary blockade鈥� since Friday at the entrance to Sirte, a Haftar-controlled area.

Organizers said they were subjected to a 鈥渟ystematic siege,鈥� with no access to food, water, or medicine, and communications severely disrupted.

They also denounced the arrest of several convoy members, including at least three bloggers who had been documenting its journey since its departure from Tunisia on June 9.

In a statement cited by Tunisia鈥檚 La Presse newspaper, the Joint Action Coordination Committee for Palestine 鈥� the group behind the convoy 鈥� demanded the immediate release of 13 participants still held by eastern Libyan authorities.

In an accompanying video, it reaffirmed its intention to continue the mission to Gaza鈥檚 Rafah border crossing with Egypt, with the aim of 鈥渂reaking the blockade and ending the genocide of the Palestinian people resisting in Gaza.鈥�

In Egypt, a separate initiative 鈥� the Global March to Gaza, intended to bring together participants from 80 countries 鈥� was halted on Friday by authorities en route to the city of Ismailia, east of Cairo.

Dozens of activists were intercepted, reportedly beaten, had passports confiscated, and were forcibly loaded onto buses by police at multiple checkpoints, according to videos shared on social media and with AFP.