Everything you need to know about the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza
More than 50 ships and delegations from 44 countries are expected to join the effort, carrying activists, humanitarians, doctors, clergy, and supplies.
A global fleet of boats carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza was forced to turn back shortly after setting sail on Sunday due to severe weather.
Organisers said strong winds of over 30 knots (55.5 km/h) made sailing unsafe, prompting the decision to return to port. They will meet later on Monday to decide when to resume the journey, reports Al Jazeera.
The mission, called the Global Sumud Flotilla, is billed as the largest civilian maritime initiative to challenge Israel's blockade of Gaza.
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More than 50 ships and delegations from 44 countries are expected to join the effort, carrying activists, humanitarians, doctors, clergy, and supplies. The first convoy left Spanish ports on 31 August, aiming to meet a second wave in Tunisia on 4 September before proceeding toward Gaza.
Four major coalitions are leading the mission: the Global Movement to Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, and Sumud Nusantara. Together, they bring experience from previous land and sea campaigns to support Palestinians.
The flotilla includes a diverse steering committee with figures such as Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, historian Kleoniki Alexopoulou, human rights advocate Yasemin Acar, and Palestinian activist Saif Abukeshek. Hundreds are expected to sail, while tens of thousands have registered to support the campaign worldwide.
Organisers say the fleet will take around seven to eight days to cover the 3,000km (1,620-nautical-mile) journey to Gaza. Details of specific ports and ships are being kept confidential for security reasons.
Flotillas are typically organised when land and air routes are blocked. With Gaza's only airport destroyed in 2001 and Israel's blockade restricting access by land and sea since 2007, aid groups say maritime missions are one of the few remaining ways to deliver essential supplies.
Previous attempts to break the blockade have met resistance. In 2008, two boats from the Free Gaza Movement briefly succeeded in reaching Gaza. But since 2010, all flotillas have been intercepted in international waters, sometimes with deadly consequences.
Organisers say the Global Sumud Flotilla carries not just aid, but a message: the siege and genocide in Gaza must end.
