Global Sumud Flotilla Sets Sail for Gaza
Largest-ever international civilian convoy sails to Gaza, spotlighting famine and seeking to break Israel’s longstanding sea blockade.
- Publish date: since 3 days Reading time: two min read
A historic maritime solidarity mission, the Global Sumud Flotilla, embarked from Barcelona on 31 August 2025, launching more than 50 vessels carrying activists, medical volunteers, and humanitarian aid in an effort to penetrate Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
This unprecedented convoy unites delegations from 44 countries, across six continents, organized by a coalition comprising the Global Movement to Gaza, Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, and Sumud Nusantara.
Among the steering committee of the flotilla are prominent figures such as Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, and actor Liam Cunningham, all symbolizing a global call for justice.
The flotilla intends to rendezvous with additional ships departing from ports in Tunisia, Italy, Greece, and other Mediterranean locales before sailing in formation toward Gaza. Organizers emphasize that the flotilla is an entirely civilian-led, nonpartisan venture aimed solely at delivering urgently needed food, water, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies to Gaza’s starving population—caught in what many describe as a man-made famine.
However, the flotilla’s mission faced an immediate setback: inclement weather forced the convoy to return to Barcelona, after encountering winds of nearly 56 km/h (35 mph) that risked the safety of the smaller boats. Organizers confirmed the return was a precautionary delay, with future plans to resume the journey pending improved conditions.
The flotilla occurs amid intensifying Israeli military operations in Gaza City, which have drastically worsened humanitarian conditions. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 63,000 fatalities since the conflict’s escalation, with famine affecting hundreds of thousands.
Israeli officials, meanwhile, interpret the flotilla as a political provocation. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir suggested participants could be detained under conditions likened to those used for terrorists, and that their vessels might be confiscated for police use if they reach Gaza.
As of 1 September 2025, the flotilla remains docked in Barcelona, awaiting safer conditions to continue its course. The global attention it has garnered underscores the mounting tensions and the mounting calls for humanitarian passage into Gaza
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