Overview
- The Global Sumud Flotilla, which unveiled its plans Wednesday in the Catalan Parliament, targets a Barcelona departure on April 12 with roughly 100 or more boats and a turnout estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 people.
- The mission seeks to challenge Gaza’s naval blockade by sailing a civilian convoy that escorts about 1,000 doctors, educators, and engineers to support reconstruction.
- Open Arms plans to provide safety, medical care, and logistics during the voyage but says it needs a despacho, a Spanish sailing authorization issued by Madrid’s maritime authority.
- Organizers detailed a multiport build-out, with a first convoy slated to leave Mauritania on April 10 and the main contingent set to depart the Port of Barcelona on April 12 after support events in the city on April 11–12.
- A 14-hour interception by the Israeli navy in October 2025, which led to detentions of high-profile activists, shapes the risk calculus as organizers argue a larger fleet could make a full stop harder.