Dozens of boats carrying activists and symbolic humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza have set sail from Barcelona after a weather-related delay, according to organisers.
Representatives of the Global Sumud Flotilla claimed that more than 70 boats and over 1,000 participants from around the world are expected to join the mission. Nearly 40 vessels departed from Barcelona, while others are expected to join from additional Mediterranean ports as the convoy sails eastward.
The departure had originally been planned for April 12th but was delayed due to bad weather. Organiser Thiago Ávila told a news conference in Barcelona that the fleet was able to leave once conditions improved.
During the same event, Ávila described the send-off as symbolic, as attention has shifted to wider regional developments. Palestinian activist Saif Abukeshek, a member of the flotilla’s global steering committee, boasted:
We sail because governments have failed.
The flotilla comes months after a previous attempt to reach Gaza by sea. That earlier mission was intercepted by Israel, and participants were later released and flown to Greece before returning to their home countries, as confirmed by the governments of France, Greece, Italy, and Spain.
Formally, the Global Sumud Flotilla aimed to break the Israeli security blockade in order to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, despite continued international hostility, Israel maintained that its interception of the flotilla was a security necessity, supported by what it described as undeniable evidence of Hamas control.
