AP: Global Sumud Flotilla departs Barcelona to challenge Gaza blockade PHOTO

The so-called “Global Sumud Flotilla,” also referred to in the media as the “Thunberg Flotilla,” set sail from Barcelona overnight on September 1. Its declared aim is to break the maritime blockade of Gaza.

According to The Associated Press, thousands of supporters saw the flotilla off in Barcelona. Currently, the flotilla includes around 20 vessels, with dozens more expected to join in Italian and Tunisian ports.

In total, approximately 90 ships carrying representatives from 44 countries are expected to participate.

The flotilla is anticipated to reach the Gaza coast around September 14–15.

Pro-Palestinian activists say they are carrying humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medicine, and are demanding safe passage to the Gaza coast and the establishment of a humanitarian maritime corridor.

This marks the fourth attempt to breach the Gaza blockade this year and is described as the largest such effort in the past 18 years.

The activist coalition has been named the “Global Sumud Flotilla” — adopting the Palestinian concept of resilience — replacing the previous “Freedom Flotilla.” Among the most visible participants is 22-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has taken part in similar initiatives before.

The blockade of Gaza has been in place since 2007, following Hamas’s takeover of the territory through a military coup.

By Khagan Isayev