Highlights:
- Around 20 ships carrying food, medicine, and water are heading to Gaza from Barcelona.
- Activists, politicians, and celebrities like Greta Thunberg, Susan Sarandon, and Liam Cunningham joined the mission.
- The convoy is demanding a humanitarian sea corridor to deliver aid.
- The Gaza war has killed over 63,000 people; famine threatens half a million residents.
- Israel has previously stopped similar aid ships and deported activists.
Humanitarian Flotilla Departs Barcelona
A group of ships, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla, set sail from Barcelona on Sunday. Their goal is to carry humanitarian aid, activists, and well-known celebrities to the Gaza Strip in order to challenge the Israeli blockade.
The flotilla is bringing food, clean water, and medicine to people in Gaza. Activists on board are demanding that Israel allow the safe passage of the ships and open a permanent humanitarian sea corridor for aid delivery.
Gaza Facing Famine and Severe Shortages
This effort comes at a time when Israel has tightened its blockade on Gaza City, making food and supplies extremely limited. Earlier this month, food experts declared that Gaza City is in famine, with over 500,000 people at risk of catastrophic hunger.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the 23-month-long war has already killed more than 63,000 people, including 332 Palestinians who died of malnutrition — among them 124 children.
Read More: “Nothing Will Be Left of the Country” – Kudddus Boyati on Ongoing Violence
A Global Effort from 44 Countries
The flotilla is made up of about 20 boats from Barcelona and will be joined by more vessels departing from Italy, Greece, and Tunisia. Delegations from 44 countries are participating.
At Barcelona’s port, thousands of supporters gathered, many wearing kaffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags. They chanted slogans such as “Free Palestine!” and “Boycott Israel!” while cheering on the convoy.
Greta Thunberg and Other Celebrities Onboard
The mission has drawn international attention because of the high-profile figures taking part. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, actors Susan Sarandon and Liam Cunningham, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, and several journalists are among the participants.
At a press conference, Thunberg said:
“The story here is about Palestine. The story here is how people are being deliberately deprived of the very basic means to survive.”
She added that Israel is violating international law by intercepting aid boats and blocking humanitarian shipments.
Previous Attempts Blocked by Israel
This is not Thunberg’s first attempt to reach Gaza by sea. In June 2025, she was deported by Israeli authorities when her ship, Madleen, was intercepted in international waters.
In July 2025, another aid vessel was stopped by the Israeli military. Its cargo, which included baby formula, food, and medicine, was seized, and 21 international activists and journalists were detained.
Heartbreaking Stories from Gaza
Actor Liam Cunningham shared a powerful video of a young girl named Fatima, who had recorded herself singing and planning her own funeral. She died just four days later.
Cunningham asked:
“What sort of world have we slid into where children are making their own funeral arrangements?”
Israel’s Position
An Israeli official said on Saturday that the government will further reduce or halt humanitarian aid to northern Gaza as its military expands operations.
Israel declared parts of Gaza City a combat zone, just one day before the flotilla departed.
The Origin of the War
The current conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an attack inside Israel, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Since then, the war has escalated and continues to devastate Gaza.
Source: Scripps News
