Sumud fleet: The world’s largest maritime convoy heads to Gaza

A global fleet of boats has set sail for Gaza as part of an international maritime initiative aimed at delivering humanitarian assistance to the starving population of Gaza.
The first convoy, consisting of dozens of small civilian vessels carrying activists, aid workers, doctors, sailors, and humanitarian supplies, departed in recent hours from Spanish ports in Barcelona to join the second wave in Tunisia on September 4.

Organizers describe the Sumud Global Fleet as the largest maritime mission to Gaza, bringing together over 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries. According to the Sumud Global Fleet, delegations from 44 nations have already committed to traveling to Gaza as part of this historic mission to break the Israeli blockade.

Countries from six continents will take part, including nations such as Australia, Brazil, South Africa, and many European states.

The group stressed that participants are not affiliated with any government or political party.

Camila Escalante, a Press TV correspondent traveling with the convoy, said that activists from 50 countries are about to embark on the mission to Gaza. The goals are to break the blockade, open a humanitarian maritime corridor, and deliver aid to the people of Gaza.

Groups involved in the Sumud Fleet

The mission is organized by four main coalitions, including groups that have participated in previous land and sea efforts to support Gaza:

• Global March to Gaza (GMTG) – formerly known as the Global March to Gaza; a grassroots movement that organizes global solidarity actions to support Gaza and end the blockade.
• Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) – with 15 years of experience in maritime missions, including previous flotillas such as Mavi Marmara, Marianne, and Handala. The FFC provides advice, guidance, and operational support for current efforts to challenge the blockade.
• Maghreb Sumud Fleet – formerly known as the Caravan of Sumud, a North Africa-based initiative that conducts solidarity missions to support Palestinian communities.
• Sumud Nusantara – a grassroots convoy from Malaysia and eight other countries, aimed at breaking the blockade and strengthening solidarity among nations of the Global South.

Who Are the Participants?

According to the Sumud Global Fleet website, the coalition includes a diverse range of people: organizers, humanitarians, doctors, artists, lawyers, and sailors, united by the belief in human dignity, the power of nonviolent action, and one shared truth: the blockade and genocide must end.

A steering committee has also been formed, including individuals such as:
Greta Thunberg (Swedish activist), Kloniki Alexopoulou (historian), Yasmin Akar (human rights activist), Tiago Ávila (social-environmental activist), Melanie Schweizer (political scientist & lawyer), Karen Moynihan (social scientist), Maria Elena D’Elia (physicist), Seif Aboukshk (Palestinian activist), Mohamed Nader al-Nouri (humanitarian activist), Marwan Ben Gatia (activist), Haifa Mansouri (activist & social researcher), and Turkia Chaibi (human rights activist).

While hundreds will take part in the voyage itself, tens of thousands more have registered to join the initiative.

How long will the journey take?

At a press conference in Barcelona’s Plaça del Rei, Seif Aboukshk said that exact numbers will be announced later, and specific ports and ships are being kept secret for security reasons.

The group estimates that the fleet will take around 7 to 8 days to cover the 3,000-kilometer (1,620 nautical mile) journey to Gaza.

What is a humanitarian flotilla, and why by sea?

A flotilla is a group of boats or ships organized to deliver essential goods such as food, medicine, and other supplies to crisis areas. They are usually organized when traditional supply routes—air or land corridors—are blocked or inaccessible.

Since 2007, Israel has tightly controlled Gaza’s airspace and territorial waters, restricting the movement of goods and people. Even before the war, Gaza had no functioning airport after Israel bombed and destroyed the Yasser Arafat International Airport in 2001, only three years after its opening.

Humanitarian and civilian flotillas generally operate under the auspices of international organizations and abide by maritime law.

The Sumud Fleet seeks to deliver aid by sea as a direct challenge to the blockade and as a symbolic call for its end.

Israel’s Ongoing Attacks on Gaza Flotillas

• The Handala ship (the latest of the Freedom Flotilla vessels) was intercepted by Israeli forces in July 2025, with its passengers detained.
• On June 9, the Marianne ship was attacked by the Israeli navy about 100 miles (160 km) from Gaza; it was seized and its crew abducted. Soldiers forced passengers to throw their phones into the sea before transferring them to a port in occupied territory.
• On May 2, Israel struck the Conscience ship—carrying 30 passengers from 21 countries—with a drone.
• The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has faced repeated Israeli attacks since its inception.

The coalition was first formed in 2010, after Israeli forces attacked the Mavi Marmara on May 31, killing 10 activists. The ship, organized by the Free Gaza Movement and Turkey’s IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, was part of a larger aid flotilla. Despite being in international waters, Israeli commandos boarded the vessel using helicopters and speedboats.

The raid sparked international outrage and widespread condemnation of Israel.

Subsequent flotilla missions include:

• 2011: “Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human” was largely prevented from sailing after reported sabotage of ships in Turkey and Greece. Only the French vessel Dignité al-Karama made it near Gaza before being seized.
• 2015: “Freedom Flotilla III” departed Sweden in May but was intercepted in international waters. The ship Marianne was diverted to Ashdod. Passengers included Palestinian MK Basel Ghattas and former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki.
• 2016: The “Women’s Boat to Gaza,” crewed entirely by women including journalists, actors, politicians, and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was intercepted on October 5. The crew was detained and deported.
• 2017: Another mission in solidarity with Gaza’s fishermen was attacked by Israeli drones in international waters near Malta.
• 2018: The Norwegian-flagged al-Awda fishing boat was seized in July; all 22 passengers were detained and transferred to Ashdod.
• 2023–2024: The Handala ship toured several European ports to raise awareness of Gaza’s blockade and Israel’s war.