From Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and activists set sail in an attempt to “break the illegal blockade” imposed by Israel on Gaza, according to its organizers.
اضافة اعلان
The ships—whose number has not yet been specified—departed from the Catalan port “to open a humanitarian corridor and put an end to the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people,” organizers of the initiative, called the “Global Flotilla of Resilience,” announced.
Brazilian activist Tiago Ávila told journalists in Barcelona last week that “this will be the largest solidarity mission in history,” involving “a greater number of people and ships than all previous attempts to reach Gaza.”
Dozens of additional vessels are expected to join the flotilla, departing from Tunisia and other Mediterranean countries on September 4, along with demonstrations and “simultaneous actions” in 44 countries, according to Swedish activist Greta Thunberg—member of the steering committee of the “Global Flotilla of Resilience”—in a post on Instagram.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Saturday, Thunberg said that this new flotilla bound for Gaza “will seek to reach Gaza, deliver humanitarian aid, declare the opening of a humanitarian corridor, and then bring in more aid, thereby ultimately breaking Israel’s illegal and inhumane blockade on Gaza.”
She added: “A mission like this should never have been necessary,” stressing that “it should be up to our governments and elected officials to uphold international law, prevent war crimes, and stop genocide. But they are failing to do so, betraying not only the Palestinians but humanity as a whole.”
She continued: “Sadly, it is left to us—ordinary citizens—to organize this flotilla.”
A ‘Legal Mission’
Activists from various countries are taking part in this initiative, alongside European parliamentarians and public figures, including former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau. The organizers have not yet specified the exact number of vessels or their departure time.
Portuguese leftist MP Mariana Mortágua, also participating in the flotilla, stated: “This is a legal mission under international law.”
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed on Saturday that the Spanish government “will use all its diplomatic and consular means to protect our citizens” aboard the flotilla.
On its website, the “Global Flotilla of Resilience” describes itself as an “independent organization… not affiliated with any government or political party.”
This new initiative follows a failed attempt to deliver aid to Gaza earlier this year, which also involved Greta Thunberg.
On June 9, Israeli forces intercepted the sailing vessel Madeliene, which was carrying 12 activists from France, Germany, Brazil, Turkey, Sweden, Spain, and the Netherlands, about 185 kilometers west of Gaza’s coast.
Accusations against Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians are mounting worldwide, including before the International Criminal Court and within the United Nations. The UN declared a state of famine in Gaza in August.
The war in Gaza erupted following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
In response, Israeli attacks and military operations in Gaza have killed at least 63,000 people, the majority of them civilians, according to the latest figures from the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which the UN considers reliable.
—(Agencies)
