In a powerful show of global solidarity, organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla announced the launch of a civilian-led mission to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza and confront the silence surrounding the ongoing genocide.
Speaking at a press conference in Barcelona, members of the flotilla’s steering committee described the famine in Gaza as deliberate and man-made.
“We are building a worldwide movement of solidarity with the Palestinian people,” they declared, as more than 30,000 people joined the initiative to challenge the siege and deliver life-saving aid.
The flotilla, composed of over 50 civilian vessels, is scheduled to depart in two phases: the first wave from Genoa and Barcelona on August 31, followed by additional ships leaving Tunis and Sicily on September 4.
The convoy includes doctors, parliamentarians, humanitarian workers, and activists from more than 39 countries—making it the largest people-led maritime effort in solidarity with Gaza since the 2010 Mavi Marmara mission.
Organizers emphasized that their mission is peaceful, lawful, and rooted in justice. “This is not just about food and medicine,” one spokesperson said. “It’s about ending the siege, ending apartheid, and ending occupation. We refuse to stay silent while a genocide unfolds.”
Delegates described the mission as a step toward Palestinian independence and the dismantling of colonialism.
“We move today to stop death and famine in Gaza. We move to end global complicity.”
The flotilla is backed by four major coalitions: the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Maghreb Sumud Convoy, and the Southeast Asian Nusantara Sumud Initiative.
Organizers warned that any attack on the flotilla would constitute a war crime. “We are civilians. Any aggression against us violates international law. We are confident the siege will be broken.”
This mission comes amid catastrophic conditions in Gaza. Since March 2, 2025, Israel has sealed all border crossings, blocking nearly all humanitarian aid.
Malnutrition among children has surged, and medical supplies are critically low. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 333 Palestinians have died from starvation, including 125 children.
As the boats prepare to sail, the Global Sumud Flotilla stands as a civilian-led challenge to the blockade, the genocide, and the complicity of governments that have failed to act.
On Sunday, Day 695 of the ongoing genocide and Day 168 since Israel violated the mediated ceasefire deal, the Israeli army continued its bombing and shelling of various parts of the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians, including those seeking humanitarian aid.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 63,371 Palestinians and injured 159,835 others—most of them women and children. More than 10,000 remain missing, hundreds of thousands have been forcibly displaced, and famine has claimed the lives of 332 civilians, including 121 children.
