Sumud Flotilla heading to Gaza once again
The Sumud Flotilla, which has attempted to reach Gaza by sea many times following Israeli attacks to draw attention to the genocide in Gaza and to deliver symbolic aid, announced that it will set sail once more to highlight the fact that deaths and hunger continue in Gaza despite the four-month-long ceasefire. Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, who gathered at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa, announced their plans for land and sea operations intended to be launched with broader participation to break the Israeli blockade during a press conference held yesterday. It was reported that the Global Sumud Flotilla will depart from Barcelona, Spain, on March 29 to lift the blockade on Gaza.
Sümeyra Akdeniz Ordu, one of the flotilla organizers, announced that the first maritime leg of the mobilization will begin in Barcelona on March 29, followed by ships departing from Italy, Tunisia, and other Mediterranean ports to join the fleet. Ordu stated that the expert teams taking part in the mission will consist of more than a thousand health workers, educators, unarmed civilian protection groups, and reconstruction and support teams.
An even larger flotilla
The statement noted that this voyage is the "largest coordinated humanitarian aid initiative for Palestine in history," stating: "It will mobilize thousands of people from over 100 countries as a coordinated, non-violent response to the genocide, siege, mass starvation, and the destruction of civilian life in Gaza."
Global Sumud Flotilla activist Mandla Mandela described the flotilla’s voyage as a stage for the re-mobilization of global civil society to support Palestine. Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, the leader of the struggle against the racist apartheid regime in South Africa, said that a broad coalition including religious groups, civil society movements, Jewish and Muslim organizations, student groups, and community leaders supports this mobilization.
Ahmed Ghnaia, a member of the flotilla’s steering committee, stated that the mobilization includes a planned humanitarian aid convoy that will set off parallel to the maritime mission. He expressed that the purpose of the convoy is to eliminate restrictions at the Rafah Border Crossing and to demonstrate the necessity of humanitarian aid corridors.
What happened?
The 52-ship Sumud Flotilla, which set out from Spain on August 31, 2025, to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, was attacked three times off the coast of Greece on September 23. German human rights defender Yasemin Acar explained that 16 unmanned aerial vehicles were used in the attack and 11 sailboats were targeted, while European Parliament member Benedetta Scuderi announced that sound and flash bombs were thrown at them. The flotilla, which continued its journey, was attacked by the Israeli military on October 4; the boats were confiscated and those on board were detained. While some of the detainees were sent back to their countries after a period, individuals such as climate activist Greta Thunberg were released through the initiatives of states after being subjected to mistreatment and torture.
