Global Sumud Aid Flotilla to depart for Gaza From Barcelona on March 29
Speaking at a livestreamed news conference from Johannesburg, activist Sumeyra Akdeniz Ordu said the flotilla will make stops in Tunisia, Italy and other Mediterranean ports. She said thousands of participants are expected to join, including more than 1,000 doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, as well as environmental specialists and war crimes investigators.
Organizers also announced plans for parallel humanitarian land convoys. One convoy is expected to depart from North Africa and travel through Egypt to the Rafah border crossing, carrying medical aid, food and other supplies, with doctors and engineers taking part. A second land convoy from South Asia is also planned.
According to AA, activists appealed for international support, including from Türkiye. In mid-January, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government would take part in the next Sumud mission.
The first Global Sumud sea mission began in mid-2025. In October, Israeli naval forces intercepted more than 40 vessels in the flotilla and detained over 450 activists.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for nearly 18 years, tightening restrictions in March and worsening humanitarian conditions. The war in Gaza began in October 2023, causing widespread casualties and destruction, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
