Aid Flotilla Sets Sail from Barcelona Toward Gaza After Weather Delay

Aid Flotilla Sets Sail from Barcelona Toward Gaza After Weather Delay
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A multinational flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and activists has departed Barcelona for Gaza, aiming to break Israel’s blockade amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave, Anadolu Agency reported.

Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla confirmed late Monday that the first group of boats resumed their journey after rough weather forced them back the previous day. Additional vessels from Italy and Tunisia are expected to join in the coming days, bringing the total to around 60 ships with more than 500 participants from 44 countries.

The mission includes politicians, artists, and activists such as Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, Spanish actor Eduardo Fernandez, and former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau. Before departure, hundreds gathered at Barcelona’s port to express solidarity with the effort.

Organizers described the voyage as a global statement of resistance to Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 63,500 Palestinians since October 2023, according to health authorities in the enclave. They emphasized that the flotilla seeks to deliver aid and highlight the humanitarian emergency caused by Israel’s blockade, in place since March, which has led to famine, disease, and the collapse of essential services for Gaza’s 2.4 million residents.

The flotilla aims to reach Gaza by mid-September. Earlier this year, another aid ship carrying international activists was intercepted by Israel and its crew deported.

Israel currently faces war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and a separate genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its conduct in Gaza.