BIZERTE, Tunisia/ISTANBUL

A boat crewed entirely by women has joined the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, with participants saying their voyage is meant as a tribute to the strength of Palestinian women living under Israel’s blockade.

Fifteen activists from Europe, Latin America and Asia boarded the vessel in the Tunisian port of Bizerte on Saturday, preparing to link up with dozens of other ships making the journey.

“Palestinian women symbolize courage and determination in the face of devastation,” said Malika, a nurse from France. “We chose to dedicate one boat solely to women as a gesture of solidarity and respect.”

She said the group, which had never met before this initiative, quickly bonded over a common purpose. “We come from different countries – France, Chile, Portugal, Spain and others – but Gaza has united us,” she added.

Organizers stressed that the flotilla’s mission is to break the blockade and establish a humanitarian corridor into the enclave. “Governments have failed to protect civilians, so we are stepping forward,” Malika said.

Khaled Boujemaa, a member of the steering committee, told Anadolu that foreign vessels left Bizerte on Saturday to rendezvous with North African boats departing from Sidi Bou Said near Tunis.

The flotilla now counts nearly 50 ships assembled in Tunisian ports, including 23 from North Africa. The departure had been postponed twice earlier in the week due to bad weather and technical issues, which forced three vessels to withdraw. Boujemaa said those hurdles had been resolved and the flotilla was “now ready to set sail for Gaza as expected.”

The initiative began in late August with boats leaving Barcelona and later Genoa, Italy, before converging in Tunisia. Organizers say it is the largest effort of its kind, aiming to confront Israel’s naval blockade and deliver life-saving aid to Gaza, where famine conditions have taken hold under Israel’s months-long closure of all crossings.

The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed on Aug. 22 that famine had taken hold in northern Gaza and warned it could spread as Israel’s blockade continues.

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 64,700 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.