Activists behind a flotilla intercepted at sea by Israel last year while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza announced on Thursday they will try again, with plans to more than double the number of boats and carry hundreds of medics.
The Israeli military halted the roughly 50 boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla last October as they attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 other participants.
The announcement of the new mission was made at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa and speakers included Mandla Mandela, grandson of the late former South African president.
Organizers said they hope to bring 100 boats for their next attempt and described the upcoming mission as the biggest civilian-led mobilization against Israel's genocidal actions in Gaza.
They called on the international community to prevent Israeli forces from intercepting the operation.
"It is a cause... for those that want to rise and stand for justice and dignity for all," Mandela told the gathering. "We want to mobilize the entire global community to join forces with us."
The United Nations said that hundreds of thousands of pallets of humanitarian supplies have been offloaded and collected at various crossings into Gaza since a fragile cease-fire was announced in October.
But Israel has suspended more than two dozen humanitarian organizations from operating in the Gaza Strip, citing new registration rules, and the territory's population of over 2 million Palestinians still face a humanitarian crisis.
Following the cease-fire, Israeli forces now control more than 53% of the Gaza Strip where they have ordered residents out. Nearly the entire population is crowded into a narrow strip along the coast, mostly living in makeshift tents and damaged buildings.
Mandela was part of the flotilla that embarked on a mission to Gaza last year and was detained along with other activists when their boat was intercepted by Israeli forces before they could reach Gaza shores.
According to organizers, more than 1,000 activists, including medical doctors, war crimes investigators and engineers, will form part of the new flotilla. It will be supported by a land convoy that is expected to attract thousands more activists across countries, including Tunisia and Egypt.
The boats are expected to sail from Spain, Tunisia and Italy toward Gaza.
"This time around we expect hundreds and thousands to sign up and to mobilize entry through Egypt, through Lebanon, through Jordan and every other border that is feasible for us to get into occupied Palestine and to Gaza," Mandela said.
Activists said they were aware that they might be confronted by Israeli forces but that they were protected by international law.
"The International Court of Justice in the provisional ruling in the case opened by South Africa against the genocide state of Israel, states very clearly that Israel or any other nation are prohibited to hinder any type of humanitarian mission on the way to Gaza," said Thiago Avila, a Brazilian activist who is part of the steering committee.
Mandela said they had chosen to host the briefing at the Nelson Mandela Foundation to highlight Nelson Mandela's support for the Palestinian cause. They also welcomed the country's decision to expel Israel's deputy ambassador to South Africa.
Last year's mission mobilized about 500 activists. Organizers said Israeli vessels approached the boats while they sailed in international waters, spraying some with water canons. Mendela and European Parliament member Rima Hassan were among detained participants.
If the flotilla is blocked again, the activists said it would still be worth it to highlight Gaza's plight.
"We may not have reached Gaza physically (but) we have reached... the people in Gaza," said one of the activists, Susan Abdallah. "They know that we care, that we will not stop at anything until we actually break the siege."
