A flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and international activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, prepared to depart from Barcelona on Sunday with the aim of breaking what organisers called the “illegal siege of Gaza.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla, named after the Arabic word for resilience, announced that its vessels would set sail to establish a humanitarian corridor and deliver essential aid to Palestinians facing dire conditions in the besieged enclave.
Hundreds of activists from across the world are on board, including Irish actor Liam Cunningham, Spanish actor Eduard Fernandez, European lawmakers, and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau. The flotilla is expected to reach Gaza in mid-September.
Speaking to reporters, Thunberg stressed that the focus was not on the mission itself but on the suffering of Palestinians deprived of basic means of survival. “The story here is about Palestine,” she said, condemning the silence of the international community in the face of what she described as an “inhuman” blockade.
Organisers said other vessels would leave from Tunisia and other Mediterranean ports on September 4 to join the effort, making it the largest solidarity mission of its kind to date.
Brazilian activist Thiago Avila declared that the scale of participation would surpass all previous attempts combined. Activists also plan simultaneous demonstrations and protests in 44 countries to raise global awareness.
Supporters of the mission argue that the effort is legitimate under international law. Portuguese lawmaker Mariana Mortagua echoed this view, calling it a lawful humanitarian intervention.
However, previous attempts to deliver aid by sea have been blocked by Israel, which intercepted ships in June and July, detaining and expelling activists, including Thunberg. Cunningham described the mission as a response to the international community’s failure to uphold humanitarian principles, calling the blockade a stain on modern history.
