Gaza-bound flotilla grows as activists promise to ‘challenge Israel’s illegal blockade’

Global Sumud Flotilla ships bound for the Gaza Strip leave Barcelona’s Port Vell, April 2026

Ben Kroll reports in Haaretz on 28 April 2026:

A Gaza-bound flotilla consisting of nearly 60 ships departed Italy on Monday [27 April] evening as part of its efforts to “break the siege” and open a “safe” humanitarian corridor to the war-torn territory.

Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which as of Tuesday afternoon is roughly 330 kilometers (200 miles) east of Sicily, say their goal, by supplying medical supplies and other aids, is “to challenge Israel’s illegal blockade, advance the opening of a permanent humanitarian corridor, and intensify coordinated international pressure on governments and corporations complicit in its enforcement.”

The flotilla left Barcelona, Spain, earlier this month, and has since grown from roughly 30 vessels at the time of departure to 58 currently en route to Gaza. According to GSF, this is “the largest coordinated civilian maritime mobilization of the mission to date.”  Organizers say the flotilla includes Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise ship, as well as a Spanish-flagged ship belonging to Open Arms, a humanitarian and rescue group operating in the Mediterranean Sea.

“As the vessels now move beyond Italian waters, the mission enters a phase in which each mile traveled carries increasing political, legal and humanitarian weight,” the GSF warned in its statement.

Israel imposed a naval blockade on the Gaza Strip in 2007, after Hamas took control of the territory, citing security concerns and the need to prevent weapons smuggling. The restrictions have tightened over time, particularly following the October 7 attack. Numerous attempts have been made to break the blockade since then, including in 2010, when Israeli forces boarded the Mavi Marmara, a Gaza-bound ship, in an incident that ended in ten activists getting killed.

Last year, Global Sumud Flotilla’s attempt to break the siege of Gaza was thwarted when Israeli forces intercepted around 40 vessels and detained more than 450 participants, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, before deporting those on board. Thunberg was absent from the current flotilla.

Israel, which controls access to the Gaza Strip, says it allows humanitarian aid into the territory. Palestinian officials and international aid organizations, however, say deliveries remain insufficient despite a cease-fire reached in October that included commitments to expand aid flows.

Haaretz reported earlier this month that Médecins Sans Frontières said recently that living conditions in Gaza remain “catastrophic,” pointing to widespread shortages of food, clean water, electricity and healthcare. “People’s needs are massive, yet the Israeli authorities have continued to systematically restrict the entry of humanitarian aid,” said Claire San Filippo, MSF’s emergency manager.

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