GAZA, (PIC)
The Global Sumud Flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip is continuing its journey across the Mediterranean despite Israeli threats to intercept the vessels and prevent them from reaching the besieged enclave.
The Sumud Flotilla, which includes around 60 boats carrying more than 700 participants from nearly 70 countries, remained temporarily paused near the shared maritime area between Greece and Türkiye as organizers awaited a formal date to resume sailing toward Gaza’s waters.
Participants said Israel’s threats were expected and would not deter them from their mission to deliver medical and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel’s ongoing genocide has devastated the health system and severely restricted the entry of aid and the evacuation of patients for treatment abroad.
Anwar al-Gharbi, head of the Geneva Council for Human Rights in Switzerland, said the Israeli threats had only strengthened the resolve of activists taking part in the flotilla.
“The continuation of the war on Gaza, the prevention of aid from entering and patients from leaving for treatment, along with the policy of genocide, have pushed more international activists to join efforts to break the siege,” Gharbi said in press remarks.
The flotilla includes lawmakers, doctors, journalists and human rights activists. Organizers say around 100 doctors are on board, along with a dedicated medical vessel carrying urgent equipment and supplies for Gaza’s collapsing health sector. One of the flotilla’s main vessels, the Family boat, is providing medical and health services to nearly 500 participants, including daily medical monitoring, care for elderly passengers and routine checkups for people with chronic conditions.
Organizers say the vessel’s mission goes beyond symbolic humanitarian support. They say it is also intended to help address the severe shortage of medical personnel in Gaza, where many health workers have been martyred, wounded or detained during Israel’s genocide.
Gharbi said Gaza’s health crisis had reached “catastrophic levels,” with more than 20,000 wounded people in need of urgent medical intervention amid continuing Israeli attacks and restrictions on the movement of patients.
He said the flotilla and a parallel land convoy crossing Egypt aim to hold the international community accountable for its failure to compel Israel to respect international law.
Participants say they will continue trying to deliver medical and food aid to Gaza even if the current mission is blocked, pledging to launch further sea convoys until the blockade is broken and Gaza’s medical teams receive support.
The activists reject Israeli claims portraying the flotilla as a security threat, stressing that the initiative is a humanitarian and solidarity mission focused on civilians in Gaza.
Gharbi called on media outlets to highlight the personal stories of those taking part, saying their testimonies are vital to exposing the reality in Gaza to global public opinion.
Several land convoys and sea flotillas have been launched toward Gaza in recent months in an effort to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian assistance. All have faced Israeli interception, detention and deportation of international activists.