Particle.news
Download on the App Store

39-Boat Flotilla Departs Barcelona to Challenge Gaza Naval Blockade

Organizers cast the voyage as a push to refocus attention on Gaza's humanitarian crisis.

Overview

  • The Globale Sumud-Flottille left Barcelona with 39 boats and about 1,000 activists after a short weather delay.
  • The convoy is accompanied by a ship from the Spanish aid group Open Arms and Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise.
  • The route runs through the Mediterranean to Sicily to pick up Italian and French delegations before heading toward Gaza.
  • The group says it aims to deliver aid and try to breach Israel's naval blockade, and Open Arms founder Òscar Camps said, "We don't know how far we will get."
  • The initiative, launched in 2025 by international activist networks, saw its first voyage that autumn boarded by Israeli special forces, with activists detained and later expelled, including Greta Thunberg.