The fleet of more than 20 ships that set sail two days ago to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza returned yesterday to the port of Barcelona.
“Due to unsafe weather conditions, we carried out a trial cruise and then returned to port so the storm could pass,” announced the Global Sumud Fleet.
“Faced with winds over 30 knots and unpredictable conditions on the Mediterranean Sea, we made this decision in order to prioritize the safety and well-being of all participants and to protect the success of our mission,” the statement added.
Around 200 activists, politicians, and artists from 44 countries set sail two days ago from Barcelona after large demonstrations in support of their mission.
Among the participants are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, Spanish actor Eduardo Fernandez, and former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau.
“Every ship that sails to Gaza is a cry for human dignity. This mission is not a threat, it is an act of humanity against barbarism,” said Fernandez, and added:
“Silence is complicity. And silence kills as much as bombs.”
The organizers state that additional ships departing from Italy and Tunisia will join the fleet, bringing the total to more than 500 people and around 60 vessels.
The goal is for the fleet to reach Gaza in mid-September.
Thunberg emphasized that everything possible must be done to end the blockade of Gaza:
“Every day, more and more people realize the scale of Israeli massacres and genocide. Today’s news is not that the fleet is setting sail, but how the world can remain silent and how politicians can betray and abandon the Palestinian people,” she said yesterday.
Thunberg earlier this year participated in another mission, which Israel intercepted and seized, and its 12-member crew was eventually deported.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 63.500 Palestinians in Gaza. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the war in the enclave.
