Human rights activists and international civil society groups are organizing a large maritime flotilla set to depart on April 12 from ports in Spain, Italy, and Tunisia, in an effort to challenge the deadly Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip and deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid.
Organizers describe the mission as the most extensive coordinated sea effort toward Gaza in more than a decade, involving more than hundred vessels, and participants from around the world.
The flotilla is being coordinated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and the Caravan of Steadfastness, with support from humanitarian organizations including the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) and the Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association.
Another flotilla is being organized to break the siege on the Gaza Strip. Aid by land is blocked, bombed, or restricted. So civilians are taking it to the water again. If governments won’t act, the people will. pic.twitter.com/PPHOwdeiEn
— YourFavoriteGuy (@guychristensen_) February 25, 2026
Bülent Yıldırım, head of IHH, stated that the participating vessels are being purchased through international donations, and the goal is to assemble a fleet large enough to complicate any Israeli attempt to intercept it. He said activists from approximately 150 countries are expected to join the mission.
Organizers say the flotilla will carry humanitarian supplies as well as specialized personnel, including medical teams, teachers, infrastructure and environmental engineers, lawyers, and war‑crimes investigators.
Yıldırım said the mission aims to bring “the people and the skills Gaza needs to rebuild its health, education, and civil infrastructure,” describing the effort as both humanitarian and a peaceful challenge to what he called an “unlawful blockade.”
Turkish activist spokesperson Dilek Tekocak said the flotilla is a response to the failure of international mechanisms to ensure adequate humanitarian access to Gaza.
She noted that despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces continue to kill Palestinians near the “yellow line,” and that humanitarian conditions remain catastrophic.
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The flotilla’s launch comes amid ongoing restrictions on aid entry. Humanitarian groups report that Israel continues to block the agreed‑upon quantities of aid trucks, leaving large parts of Gaza facing hunger, disease, and the collapse of essential services.
Organizers argue that the maritime mission is necessary because land‑based aid delivery has been severely limited.
The upcoming voyage follows previous attempts to reach Gaza by sea. In October of last year, the Israeli navy intercepted vessels belonging to the “Freedom Alliance” flotilla, detaining 150 activists and towing the ships to Ashdod for interrogation and deportation. The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the interception as “piracy” and a violation of international law.
Organizers say the April flotilla will stop in several Mediterranean ports before attempting to reach Gaza’s coastline.
They argue that the mission is urgently needed as Gaza continues to face extreme humanitarian conditions, with more than 72,000 Palestinians killed and over 172,000 wounded since October 7, 2023.
Much of the Strip’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed, and international agencies warn that without unrestricted humanitarian access, preventable deaths will continue to rise.
