An international aid flotilla that paused for several days in Greek waters for repairs has set sail again for Gaza, where activists aim to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and deliver aid to the Palestinian territory.
Organizers said on Sunday that Greek vessels had now joined their enterprise, meaning that the flotilla, which counts some 47 civilian boats, was “complete.”
“Brothers and sisters in Gaza, we sail with hope in our hearts. Your resilience is our compass, your struggle is our struggle. Together, we will break the silence of the siege,” the Global Sumud Flotilla wrote on social media.
Around 40 Italians are aboard the flotilla alongside anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian activists from dozens of other countries, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, officials from the European Parliament, and from countries including Belgium, France, Ireland, Spain and the United States. They hope to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza in the coming week, defying warnings from Israel that they will be stopped.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Sunday repeated a proposal made last week for the flotilla to take the aid to Cyprus for eventual distribution in Gaza by the Roman Catholic Church. The flotilla rejected the suggestion, though Israel had backed the idea.
“We have always said…that it is dangerous to approach Israeli waters. We don’t know what might happen. Forcing the blockade is dangerous,” Tajani told reporters.
The flotilla was struck on Wednesday in international waters off Crete by drones armed with stun grenades and irritants, which caused damage but no injuries.
Flotilla organizers blamed Israel for the drone attacks. The Foreign Ministry did not respond directly to the accusation, but invited the flotilla to drop humanitarian aid for Israel to take to Gaza, or face consequences.
Israel has previously said it will use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas terrorists in the coastal enclave.
IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Thursday that the Israeli Navy is ready to intercept the boats, although he noted a greater challenge than past flotilla attempts: “This one is different, with dozens of vessels.”
Italy and Spain have deployed navy ships close to the flotilla for rescue and humanitarian tasks.
Italy’s foreign ministry has sent a message to Italian members of the flotilla warning them against continuing with the mission. It said the navy ship it has deployed would intervene only for sea rescue or humanitarian operations, and would “under no circumstances” engage in defensive or offensive military maneuvers against anyone.
Earlier this year, Israel intercepted a yacht on which Thunberg and other activists were sailing as it aimed to reach Gaza.
Israel began its Gaza offensive after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken as hostages back to Gaza. Of those, 48 remain in captivity, 20 of them believed alive.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 66,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it had killed over 22,000 combatants in battle as of August and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught.
Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques.