A massive civilian flotilla involving activists from 44 countries is scheduled to set sail for Gaza at the end of August in what organizers describe as the largest effort to date to challenge Israel’s blockade, which has pushed the enclave’s population to the brink of famine.
Speaking at a news conference in Tunis hosted by the Joint Action Coordination for Palestine, members of the Global Sumud Flotilla said participants aim to break the blockade, establish a humanitarian corridor and draw attention to what they call an ongoing genocide against Palestinians.
"This summer, dozens of boats, both large and small, will set sail from ports across the world, converging on Gaza in the largest civilian flotilla of its kind in history,” organizer Haifa Mansouri said.
The initiative unites four movements: the Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, the Global Movement to Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Sumud Nusantara.
The first convoy will depart from Spanish ports on Aug. 31, followed by a second from Tunisian ports on Sept. 4. More than 6,000 activists have registered to join, with training, solidarity events and encampments planned along the route, organizer Seif Abu Keshk said.
The announcement comes after Israeli naval forces intercepted the Handala aid ship on July 26 as it approached Gaza, escorting it to Ashdod Port. The vessel had reached about 70 nautical miles from the enclave, surpassing the distance covered by the Madleen, which made it 110 miles before being stopped, according to the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza.
Rejecting international calls for a cease-fire, Israel has continued its military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 61,000 Palestinians, almost half of them women and children. The campaign has devastated the territory and pushed it to the verge of famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.