Gaza-bound aid flotilla aims to break Israel’s siege amid famine

Multiple boats carrying humanitarian aid set sail on August 31st, for the destination of Gaza, according to Middle East Eye. The activists aboard are aiming to break Israel’s ongoing siege that has brought a lethal famine into the enclave.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which is named after the Arabic term for “perseverance”, is the biggest civilian aid fleet since Israel’s conflict against Gaza started in October 2023.

Over 300 pro-Palestinian activists from 44 countries have joined the mission. This includes Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Thunberg was also aboard the Madleen, a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian aid in June. However herself and the other activists were never able to deliver this aid, as their ship was boarded by the Israeli military, who intercepted it.

A total 20 boats departed from several Spanish ports. They carried food and medicine, as well as necessary supplies for Gaza’s remaining population.

The International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza urged for support from the international community. They released a statement on August 30th, which stated that “the Sumud Flotilla is not merely a set of boats carrying symbolic aid and activists from around the world.” The committee said: “It is a global act of protest and a strong humanitarian message against the silence of the international community in the face of Israeli crimes.”

It added: “It affirms that the will of free peoples is stronger than genocide and starvation, and that every ship setting sail carries a cry of hope for besieged Gaza and a global voice demanding the lifting of the blockade and an immediate end to injustice.”

The committee confirmed that additional boats will set sail from Tunisia in the coming days to join the flotilla from Barcelona. Tunisia has recently seen a flood of pro-Palestine protests, with Tunisia’s People’s Movement Party holding a hunger strike, as an act of support for the starving Palestinians in Gaza.

Zaher Birawi, the Chairman of the committee, said: “Each ship in the Sumud Flotilla carries a clear message to the world: the will of the people cannot be besieged, and the voice of freedom will find its way forward.” Birawi added: “this is not just a sea voyage, but a humanitarian act of resistance against occupation – one that exposes its crimes and strikes against the wall of silence, complicity and death.”