TUNIS, Tunisia/ISTANBUL 

A massive civilian flotilla is set to depart for the Gaza Strip at the end of August in a new bid to break Israel’s blockade that has left the territory’s entire population on the verge of famine.  

Speaking at a press conference in Tunis hosted by the Joint Action Coordination for Palestine, a civil society coordination platform, members of the Global Sumud Flotilla said activists from 44 countries have signed up for the coordinated effort. 

“This summer, dozens of boats, both large and small, will set sail from ports across the world, converging on Gaza in the largest civilian flotilla of its kind in history,” said organizer Haifa Mansouri. 

The flotilla brings together four initiatives: the Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, the Global Movement to Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and Sumud Nusantara. Their united aim, Mansouri said, is to “break the illegal blockade on Gaza by sea, establish a humanitarian corridor, and confront the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.” 

The first convoy will leave Spanish ports on Aug. 31, followed by a second from Tunisian ports on Sept. 4. 

Seif Abu Keshk, another organizer, said more than 6,000 activists have already registered online to join. 

“Participants will undergo training at departure points, with solidarity events and encampments planned along the way,” he added. 

“This is a renewed attempt to pressure governments by sending dozens of ships and thousands of activists to break Gaza’s blockade,” Abu Keshk noted. 

The announcement comes days after Israeli naval forces intercepted the Handala aid ship on July 26 as it neared Gaza’s shores and escorted it to Ashdod Port. The vessel had reached about 70 nautical miles from Gaza, surpassing the distance covered by the Madleen, which made it 110 miles before being stopped, according to the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza. 

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 61,000 Palestinians, almost half of them women and children. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of 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.