The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) officially set sail from Barcelona on Wednesday, resuming its mission toward Gaza after adverse weather conditions stalled its progress. Navigating a region marked by a surge in Israeli military strikes across Gaza and Lebanon, the fleet is currently heading toward Italy for a coordinated multi-port mobilization.
“We are not just trying to reach Gaza, we are trying to provide assistance inside the Strip,” said Susan Abdullah, a Palestinian-Norwegian committee member for the GSF. “It is very important to keep thinking of Gaza and its people amid international complicity.”
The flotilla was originally scheduled to depart last Sunday. However, a powerful storm system originating near the Spanish island of Menorca created unsafe sailing conditions.
The 2026 spring mission has expanded significantly, with Abdullah confirming that approximately 1,000 activists are now aboard the vessels, more than double the 460 participants from the 2025 mission. Including global ground support, the total number of participants is estimated at 3,000.
“We have medical experts assigned for each vessel, in addition to a separate vessel carrying a team of doctors and medical equipment, who are ready to operate in Gaza,” Abdullah told Al Manassa Wednesday, citing the urgent need to address medical shortages resulting from the Israeli-enforced blockade.
The flotilla departing from Barcelona includes 39 vessels, alongside support ships operated by Greenpeace and Open Arms, the GSF said in a Wednesday press release. Organizers said more than 80 boats are now taking part in the effort, up from over 70 reported last week.
Meanwhile, GSF noted that the mission's current phase “unfolds against a shifting political backdrop in Italy and across Europe.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced Tuesday the suspension of a joint defense agreement with Israel covering military equipment exchange and technological research, over continued Israeli aggression in the region.
Amnesty International has called for the safe passage of the flotilla, urging respect for international humanitarian obligations and the protection of civilians involved.
In October 2025, Israel forces raided the GSF, intercepting dozens of vessels and boarding the ships, detained activists, and unleashed chemical-laced water cannons as part of the crackdown on the flotilla, activists who were later released testified.
Israeli officials have not commented on the new flotilla mission as a naval and land blockade on Gaza, including limits on aid entry, remain in place.
Abdullah underscored the dire humanitarian crisis confronting Gaza’s two million residents, citing acute medical shortages compounded by restricted media access that conceals the full extent of suffering on the ground. “We cannot grasp the complete reality of what is happening there,” she warned, “because Israel blocks foreign media and systematically targets journalists and media professionals.”
