Madrid, MINA – An international flotilla carrying activists, artists, and politicians from over 44 countries departed Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, aiming to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver a message of solidarity with Palestinians.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, named after the Arabic word for “steadfastness,” comprises about 20 boats with more than 300 participants, including doctors, journalists, and campaigners. The voyage will continue across the Mediterranean, stopping in Italy, Greece, and Tunisia before attempting to reach Gaza.
Barcelona, which severed institutional ties with Israel earlier this year over what it described as genocide in Gaza, was chosen as the symbolic starting point.
Notable participants include Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, Spanish actor Eduardo Fernandez, and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.
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Speaking before departure, Thunberg described Gaza as “a clear example of oppression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing,” criticizing global inaction and calling for urgent efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor.
“There is nothing new we can say about Gaza. But every day, more people are waking up and realizing the scale of Israel’s massacres and genocide,” she said.
Fernandez emphasized that “silence is complicity” and that every vessel in the flotilla represents “a cry for human dignity,” while Cunningham urged governments to impose sanctions on Israel, calling the ongoing inaction “a shameful period in history.”
Colau added that international civilian mobilization is essential to compel institutions to confront what she called Israel’s crimes against humanity and international law.
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Hundreds gathered at Barcelona’s port to send off the flotilla, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine” and “Boycott Israel.”
The flotilla’s name, Sumud, refers to the Palestinian concept of resilience and non-violent resistance, symbolized by the olive tree or the image of a pregnant peasant woman. It emerged after the 1967 Six-Day War and reflects the commitment to preserve land, culture, and dignity despite oppression.
International media outlets widely covered the event, highlighting its humanitarian aims and the participation of global activists, artists, and political figures. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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