ISTANBUL

The International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza said Sunday it will dispatch a boat carrying journalists and medical professionals to the Israel-blockaded Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the committee said the vessel, set to sail on Oct. 1, will carry over 100 international media workers and doctors.

Organizers say the step marks a new and different approach to challenge the Israeli blockade, underscoring the critical role of both the press and medics in highlighting the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said early Sunday that its Gaza-bound ships are less than 399 nautical miles from their destination, and are expected to reach the enclave on Sept. 30.

The flotilla, made up of about 50 ships, set sail earlier this month to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, to the war-ravaged enclave.

Since March 2, Israel has fully closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking food and aid convoys and deepening famine conditions in the enclave. Only limited supplies are sporadically allowed in, and many are looted by armed groups that Gaza authorities accuse Israel of protecting.

Israel, as the occupying power, has a record of intercepting ships headed to Gaza, seizing vessels, and deporting activists. Critics describe such actions as piracy.

The Israeli army has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.