A grassroots land convoy is travelling thousands of kilometres from the Tunisian capital to Gaza on Monday, in the hopes of breaking Israel's debilitating 18-year siege on the war-battered Palestinian enclave.

Thousands of volunteers from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia left the Tunisian capital in a 100-vehicle convoy to raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and deliver life-saving aid, organisers said.

The "Soumoud" convoy, which means resilience and steadfastness in Arabic, is reported to include trade union and political figures, as well as human rights activists, athletes, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and members of youth organisations.

It remains unclear, however, whether the convoy will actually reach the besieged Gaza Strip, as Egyptian officials have yet to authorise the convoy's entry into North Sinai.