TUNIS, Tunisia/ISTANBUL

Ships taking part in the Global Freedom Flotilla began arriving in Tunisia on Sunday as part of an international effort to deliver aid to Gaza and defy Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory.  

Crowds of Tunisians gathered at Sidi Bou Said port near the capital to greet the first boats sailing in from Spain.  

Organizers said nearly 20 vessels are expected to dock in Tunisia over the next two days before the flotilla resumes its journey east to Gaza.   

“The ships that left Spain have started entering Tunisian waters,” Wael Nawar, a steering committee member of the Maghreb flotilla, told Anadolu.  

He said Tunisian vessels will join the convoy when it departs Wednesday, with additional boats linking up off the Italian coast.  

Roughly 150 activists, among them Tunisians, Turkish citizens and campaigners from across Europe, Africa and Asia, are participating in the initiative. The flotilla set sail from Barcelona on Aug. 22, followed by another group that departed the Italian port of Genoa last week.  

Organizers say the mission aims to draw attention to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where international monitors declared famine in the north last month. Israel has sealed the enclave since March, allowing in only limited supplies while its forces continue to attack Palestinians waiting for food deliveries.  

The Israeli genocidal war in Gaza has killed nearly 64,400 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.  

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.