Tunis, MINA – The Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla diverted its course Thursday to the northern Tunisian port of Bizerte after rough seas disrupted its scheduled departure from Sidi Bou Said, Anadolu Agency reported.
Mohamed Amin Bennour, a steering committee member, told Tunisia’s official news agency TAP that the move was necessary because conditions were unsafe for small and mid-sized boats to sail directly from the coastal town near Tunis.
“We are moving to Bizerte to finalize preparations before heading toward Gaza on Friday,” he said.
Organizer Nabil Chennoufi told Anadolu that the delay was due solely to weather conditions, not security concerns, stressing that Tunisian authorities had already granted clearance for the convoy.
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The flotilla consists of about 36 vessels carrying between 500 and 700 activists from over 40 countries. Additional boats from Italy and Spain are expected to join along the route, while organizers said an Egyptian vessel has also been cleared to participate.
On Wednesday, thousands of Tunisians gathered in Sidi Bou Said to express solidarity with the mission, waving Palestinian and Tunisian flags and chanting against Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
The convoy marks the largest maritime mission of its kind to date. Unlike past attempts involving single ships intercepted by Israel at sea, the flotilla aims to challenge the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, where famine conditions have been worsening under Israel’s months-long closure of all crossings.
The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed on Aug. 22 that famine had taken hold in northern Gaza, warning that it could spread if the blockade continues.
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Israel’s ongoing military aggression in Gaza has killed at least 64,600 Palestinians since October 2023, devastating the enclave and leaving its population on the brink of starvation. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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