Aid flotilla sets sail from Tunisia to Gaza
The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprised of around 20 boats carrying humanitarian aid, has set sail from the port of Bizerte in Tunisia to the besieged Gaza Strip, France24 via AFP reported on September 15th.
After repeated delays, the Global Sumud Flotilla is now on track to reach Gaza, with the ships leaving Bizerte at dawn.
The flotilla aims to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and create a humanitarian corridor through which aid can be delivered to the Gazan people. The flotilla is a global effort to break the “man-made” famine Israel has brought upon the Gazan people.
The ships hold a total of 500 to 700 people from 44 different countries, including the young and prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg who told reporters: “We are also trying to send a message to the people of Gaza that the world has not forgotten about you.”
She continued: “When our governments are failing to step up then we have no choice but to take matters into our own hands.”
Images posted on Instagram by Yasemin Acar, who helped to coordinate the boats from the Maghreb, displayed the departure of the boats in the early morning.
The post had the following caption: “The siege on Gaza must end. The genocide has to stop. We sail in solidarity, in dignity, and for justice.”
Originally, the flotilla had aimed to reach Gaza by mid-September but was delayed due to security concerns, with drone attacks targeting the boats of the flotilla.
Tunisian authorities have described the assault as displays of premediated aggression but have not yet named any parties or states that could be culpable.
Israel’s military did not respond to a request to comment on the assault.
France24 via AFP, The New Arab, Instagram, Maghrebi.org
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