Previous attempts to deliver life-saving humanitarian aid by sea this year were thwarted by Israeli occupation forces.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, are among the activists from over 44 countries who are preparing for the “largest civilian maritime mission to Gaza” to break the siege on Gaza.
The Global Sumud Flotilla ⛵️⛴️⛵️⛴️🇵🇸
On August 31st we are launching from Spain the biggest attempt ever to break the illegal Israeli siege over Gaza with dozens of boats!
On September 4th dozens more boats will join us sailing from Tunisia and other ports and we are also… pic.twitter.com/u8JcJoCwMs
— Global Sumud Flotilla (@GlobalSumudF) August 12, 2025
“We are sailing again to break the siege,” Thunberg said in a video produced by the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) organizers.
“And this time we’re sailing with dozens of boats,” Brazilian activist Thiago Avila added.
Escalating Genocide
Previous attempts to deliver life-saving humanitarian aid by sea this year were thwarted by Israeli occupation forces, who boarded the vessels and abducted the activists before detaining and deporting them.
“The genocide against Palestinians in Gaza has been escalating for 22 months,” Mandla Mandela stated in the video.
Five More Palestinians Die of Starvation in Gaza – Death Toll Rises to 222
Dozens of civilian boats are scheduled to depart for Gaza with the main launch from Spain on August 31, followed by additional launches from Tunisia and other countries on September 4, the GSF said in a statement.
Delegations from countries such as Malaysia, the United States, Brazil, Italy, Morocco, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands and Colombia will participate.
Malaysian PM’s Support
Sumud Nusantara, the Southeast Asian coalition, confirmed that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim “will serve as official patron and will flag off the regional convoy on August 23,” the statement noted.
More than 200 Palestinians, including 101 children, have died of malnutrition in Gaza amid the ongoing Israeli blockade that has halted the flow of critical life-saving food and other aid into the enclave.
“We, the people around the world, are determined. We stand with the people of Palestine, and will sail for justice with a message to the people in Gaza: We see you. We hear you. And we are coming back stronger,” Yasemin Acar said in the statement. Acar, a German national, was one of 12 activists aboard the Madleen aid ship that was intercepted in international waters by Israeli forces in June as it attempted to break the Gaza siege.
‘Silence Not an Option’
In July, the Handala aid boat was also intercepted by Israeli forces off the coast of Gaza and all 21 activists on board were similarly detained and forcibly taken to Israel from where they were deported.
“Silence is not an option. The people of Gaza need us to raise our collective voices. To be in solidarity even when governments and institutions fail,” activists in the GSF video stated. “This is the greatest historical call of our generation. And the people of the world will not fail to answer this call.”
Breaking the Siege: Global Sumoud Flotilla to Set Sail for Gaza from Spain
The GSF organizers said the flotilla is “a legal, peaceful civilian initiative grounded in international law.” They emphasized that “any Israeli interception would constitute an act of piracy.”
According to Seif Abu Keshk, one of the organizers, more than 6,000 activists have already registered online to join, the Anadolu news agency reported.
Participants, he said, “will undergo training at departure points, with solidarity events and encampments planned along the way.”
Staggering Death Toll
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 61,000, wounding more than 153,000, with over 14,000 still missing.
Scores Killed as Deadly Israeli Strikes Hit Homes, Aid Seekers across Gaza
Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
Good to see Greta doing something worthwhile. Her climate change activism was misguided, clearly she was being manipulated. These activists should be careful, and read into what happened in 1967 with the USS Liberty. ” Israel ” attacked a US ship, flying a US flag, and even after the fighter pilots informed their superiors they were flying an American flag: a neutral surveillance craft in international waters, their leaders said, ” attack it, sink it ” . President Johnson wanted it sunk so we could enter the war. Now to present day, Dondolf Twitler is 100% unhinged, he wouldn’t lose any sleep if the IDF attacked the flotilla.
The Jewish Nazis are savages; the scum of the Earth. He’s Nutzi.
Well, piracy is a crime under universal jurisdiction. And there’s a way to identify the IDF personnel committing it – called “traffic analysis” if I remember correctly, it invovles going through records of individuals and their locations, actions, etc. It should be possible to build up a dossier on the IDF pirates if enough people analyse IDF “special units”, and obtain names and other details of likely suspects. Then hand it over to the Hind Rajab Foundation for action.
It’s appropriate that this Flotilla is leaving close to the anniversary of our first successful Flotilla landing in Gaza, August 23, 2008. May we sail this time into the shores safely.