A flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and activists, including Greta Thunberg, will depart Barcelona on Sunday to challenge what organizers call the “illegal siege of Gaza.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla stated that its goal is to establish a humanitarian corridor, although it provided no details on the number of ships or the exact departure time. The group expects to reach Gaza by mid-September. Organizers say dozens more vessels will depart from Tunisian and other Mediterranean ports on September 4, alongside protests in 44 countries.
“This will be the largest solidarity mission in history, with more people and more boats than all previous attempts combined,” Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila told journalists in Barcelona last week.
Thunberg, a member of the flotilla steering committee, said on Instagram that the effort is intended to show solidarity with Palestinians. The flotilla will also include activists from multiple nations, European lawmakers, and figures like former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.
“We understand that this is a legal mission under international law,” leftwing Portuguese lawmaker Mariana Mortágua, who will join the mission, told journalists in Lisbon last week.
Israel blocked two earlier aid flotillas to Gaza in June and July. In June, forces intercepted the sailboat Madleen off the coast of Gaza, detaining and later expelling 12 activists, including Greta Thunberg. The following month, 21 activists from 10 countries were stopped aboard the Handala.
Greta Thunberg joins fleet to bring aid to Gaza, hopes to break Israel’s naval blockade https://t.co/RcXPozYWo6 pic.twitter.com/RAyiF11jau
— New York Post (@nypost) August 31, 2025
