Flotilla for Gaza’s Departure from Tunisia Postponed to Thursday

Tunis, MINA – The Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza’s departure from Tunisia has been delayed until Thursday due to bad weather and logistical challenges, an organizer said.

“It was decided to postpone the departure of the Global Sumud Flotilla from Tunisia to Gaza to Thursday instead of today, Wednesday, due to bad weather and logistical reasons,” Nabil Chennoufi, a member of the steering committee of the flotilla’s Maghreb branch, told Anadolu Agency.

He stressed that the delay was solely weather-related. “There is no such reason [as fear of attack]. This morning, we had a security meeting with all the agencies, and they granted us authorization to depart and were even urging us to set sail,” he said, citing rain and strong winds as the main factors.

The flotilla is expected to comprise around 36 ships, with two or three still finalizing preparations, according to Chennoufi. The number of participants is estimated at between 500 and 700. The fleet is also expected to grow once it joins with Italian and Spanish vessels. An Egyptian ship has also reportedly been authorized to join, though no comment has been issued by Cairo.

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Thousands of Tunisians gathered Wednesday at the Sidi Bou Said port near Tunis to express solidarity with Gaza and support for the flotilla. Crowds waved Palestinian and Tunisian flags, chanting slogans such as “Freedom for Palestine,” “Stop the genocide,” and “Gaza, symbol of pride.”

The flotilla, made up of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Global Movement to Gaza, the Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, and Malaysia’s Nusantara Resistance Organization, is considered the largest maritime mission yet to the besieged enclave. It brings together hundreds of activists from more than 40 countries.

In recent weeks, about 20 ships departed from Barcelona, Spain, and Genoa, Italy, before heading toward Tunisia to join the mission. The flotilla aims to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza and open a humanitarian corridor for delivering food and medicine.

This marks the first time such a large number of vessels has attempted to reach Gaza simultaneously. In past attempts, Israel intercepted individual ships, seized them, and deported activists.

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Since March 2, Israel has closed all crossings into Gaza, preventing the entry of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid, leaving the enclave in deep famine despite thousands of relief trucks waiting at the borders. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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