Sailing for survival: Sumud Fleet defies starvation siege

The Global Sumud Fleet, now en route to Gaza, has called on the Spanish government and Europe for support amid threats from Israel.

In a post on X, the fleet wrote: “Israel is threatening the Global Sumud Fleet — ships carrying medicine and food to Gaza on a humanitarian mission. We call on the Spanish government and Europe to act to ensure their protection in accordance with international law.”

The fleet also announced that a Pakistani delegation has joined the Malaysian Sumud Nusantara Fleet, which is itself joining the Global Sumud Fleet to break Israel’s blockade.

The Italy-based humanitarian organization Emergency also declared that it would join the fleet with its “Life Support” search-and-rescue vessel, acting as an observer and providing medical and logistical support to participating ships.

The International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza further announced that four Italian members of parliament will be aboard the Global Sumud Fleet.

As numerous boats with hundreds of participants from across the world prepare to set sail from Barcelona and Tunis, and a third wave of ships readies itself to challenge Israel’s blockade and genocide of Palestinians, Jerusalem Post reported in early September 2025 that Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir intends to designate the activists of the Global Sumud Fleet as “terrorists” and seize the boats.

Threats of mistreatment from one of the architects of Israel’s genocidal campaign will not deter those outraged by the massacre of Palestinians and the destruction of Gaza, who are ready to risk their lives to draw global attention to the horrific genocide, starvation of children, the elderly, and the entire population in Gaza.

The only factor that could halt the fleet’s voyage would be a permanent cessation of Israel’s bombardment and destruction of Gaza, alongside free entry of food and medicine distributed by credible organizations with professional systems to ensure all Gazans have access.

International support for the solidarity mission of the Global Sumud Fleet — the largest civil society mobilization in modern history — continues to grow as it sets out to break Israel’s illegal blockade and open a humanitarian maritime corridor to deliver aid to the Palestinian population.

Several politicians from different countries have volunteered, and a number of European Parliament members are aboard the fleet.

Meanwhile, political pressure on Israel is mounting, though concrete actions from Western governments to end Gaza’s devastation and guarantee humanitarian aid delivery remain insufficient.

In the European Parliament in Strasbourg, a written question to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas concerning the massacre of Palestinian journalists in Gaza — with UN data reporting over 240 cases to date — has gathered nearly 100 signatures.