On Monday, September 1, a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian activists—including environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg—set sail from Barcelona again, hours after strong winds forced it to return to the Spanish port.
Around 20 vessels left the city on Sunday, reports the Global Sumud Flotilla.
The organisation claimed in an earlier statement that “due to unsafe weather conditions,” the flotilla returned to port “to allow the storm to pass,” without specifying exactly when the boats returned to Barcelona. Citing gusts of wind exceeding 55 kilometres (34 miles) per hour, it added
We made this decision to prioritize the safety and well-being of all participants and to safeguard the success of our mission.
Spain’s national weather agency, AEMET, had issued warnings of rain and strong storms for Catalonia’s northeastern region, which includes Barcelona.
The activists—coming from different of countries—included Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, and Spain’s Eduard Fernández, as well as European lawmakers and public figures, including former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.
Following earlier failed attempts in June and July to deliver aid by ship to the territory, the flotilla is expected to reach Gaza in mid-September.
The war was triggered by an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and its allies on October 7, 2023, resulting in a pogrom and the deaths of 1,219 people, mainly civilians.
Palestinian terrorists also seized 251 hostages, with 47 still held in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli army says are dead.
