Global Sumud Flotilla leaves Spain to break Israeli blockade of Gaza

A global fleet of boats has left from Spain for Gaza in what organisers describe as the largest civilian maritime mission in history to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians facing starvation.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of more than 50 vessels from six continents, will carry activists, doctors, humanitarians, artists, clergy, and seafarers from at least 44 countries.

The first convoy departed from Spanish ports on August 31, before joining a second wave in Tunisia on September 4.

Organisers say the Global Sumud Flotilla is a non-governmental, non-partisan initiative coordinated by four coalitions: the Global Movement to Gaza (GMTG), the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, and Sumud Nusantara. Together, they aim to challenge what they call Israel’s “illegal siege” and deliver urgent humanitarian supplies to Gaza.

The fleet’s steering committee includes a diverse group of global figures, such as Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, Palestinian organiser Saif Abukeshek, historian Kleoniki Alexopoulou, Pakistan’s ex-Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan and several human rights advocates, scientists, and social leaders.

Read more: Gaza ‘Freedom Flotilla’ rescues Libyan migrants in Mediterranean Sea

While hundreds are expected to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, organisers say tens of thousands worldwide have registered to support the effort.

Details on participating ships and ports are being withheld for security reasons.

The voyage, expected to take seven to eight days over 3,000km of open sea, will attempt to break through a blockade Israel has enforced since 2007, which severely restricts Gaza’s air, land, and maritime access.

Organisers stress that the mission is rooted in nonviolent action and a belief in human dignity, declaring that “the siege and genocide must end.”

This flotilla is the latest attempt by activists to break Tel Aviv’s blockage of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s previous attempts, the Handala and Madleen, ended in the detention and deportation of the volunteers on board.