A flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid and activists departed Barcelona on Sunday, in what organizers claim is the largest maritime attempt yet to breach Israel’s longstanding blockade of the Gaza Strip, reports The Associated Press.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of approximately 20 vessels and delegations from 44 countries, is en route to Gaza with what activists say is food, water, and medicine, demanding safe passage and the establishment of a humanitarian sea corridor.
Thousands gathered at the Barcelona pier to send off the convoy, chanting anti-Israel slogans and waving Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flags, according to AP. The fleet includes a range of vessels, from aging yachts to small sailboats, including the century-old Sirus.
Additional ships from Italy and Tunisia are expected to join the expedition, with around 70 boats anticipated for the final leg toward Gaza, flotilla spokesperson Saif Abukeshek told Spanish television. Arrival is projected around September 14 or 15.
Prominent figures aboard include Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who stated, “The story here is about Palestine. The story here is how people are being deliberately deprived of the very basic means to survive.”
Other notable participants include former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, who severed her city’s ties with Israel while in office, and actor Liam Cunningham.
Thunberg was previously deported by Israel in June after another flotilla vessel, the Madleen, was intercepted by the IDF.
The activists were then given food and water, despite many of them having prepared prerecorded videos claiming that they were “kidnapped” by the IDF.
The Foreign Ministry said that the Gaza aid aboard the Madleen included less than a single truckload of aid, and it would be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.