Gaza-Bound ‘Sumud’ Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian activists has returned to port in Barcelona due to stormy weather after sailing for Gaza on Sunday, according to Reuters.
Organizers described the ship as the largest solidarity mission to date, following two earlier attempts that were blocked by Israel.
“We conducted a sea trial and then returned to port to allow the storm to pass. This meant delaying our departure to avoid risking complications with the smaller boats,” the Global Sumud Flotilla Mission said in a statement, adding winds had been up to around 35 mph (56 kph).
With the goal of reaching Gaza by mid-September, the vessels set off from the Spanish port city on Sunday to open a humanitarian corridor and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.
“This will be the largest solidarity mission in history, with more people and more boats than all previous attempts combined,” Brazilian activist Thiago Avila told journalists in Barcelona last week.
The activists did not mention when they will resume the journey.
Organizers also noted that dozens more vessels are scheduled to depart from Tunisian and other Mediterranean ports on September 4.
Previous Attempt
On June 1, Thunberg and 11 other activists sailed to Gaza Strip on June 1 aboard a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gazans.
The aid ship, operated by activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition, set out from the Sicilian port of Catania in southern Italy on a mission to break “Israel’s siege” of the devastated territory, organizers said.
The activists stated that they will try to deliver some aids to Palestinians who are starving due to Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid.
However, Israeli forces took control of Madleen yacht and detained activists on board.
Then, Israel announced the deportation of activists held in detention over their attempt to deliver some humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to the Associated Press.
“After more than 72 hours in Israeli custody following the unlawful interception of the Madleen Freedom Flotilla in international waters … six volunteers were transferred to Ben Gurion Airport for deportation,” the Adalah rights group said in a statement.
“Bye-bye — and don’t forget to take a selfie before you leave,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
Gaza War
Currently, Israel is facing regional and international pressure to put an end to its war in the Palestinian enclave and allow the delivery of more aid.
At the same time, the Israeli government has been facing harsh criticism from countries, nations, and individuals who considered the war as a genocide or ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 63,000 Palestinians and wounded over 159,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Dozens of Gazans including children have lost their souls due to malnutrition throughout the war that caused unthinkable humanitarian conditions.
Rights group Amnesty International has accused Israel of enacting a “deliberate policy” of starvation in Gaza and “systematically destroying the health, well-being and social fabric of Palestinian life.”
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