“Freedom Flotilla” and “Sumud Convoy” to launch 200 vessels to Gaza in April
Pro-Palestinian activists, in coordination with civil society organizations, are preparing to launch a new joint maritime initiative to Gaza, bringing together the “Freedom Flotilla” and the “Sumud Convoy.” The campaign will include 200 vessels aimed at breaking the blockade on the Gaza Strip, with departure scheduled for April 12.
Bulent Yildirim, head of the Turkish IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Thursday that donations will be collected from Europe, Asia, Africa, Türkiye, the Gulf, and around the world to fund the purchase of the vessels. He said that assembling a fleet of 200 ships would make it difficult for Israel to stop them, emphasizing that “there is no option other than the sea.”
The initiative is expected to receive support from around 200 civil society organizations, including the Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association, IHH, and the Palestine Support Platform. The convoy is set to sail from Mediterranean ports, specifically from Spain, Italy, and Tunisia, with thousands of participants from 150 countries expected to take part.
The mission will go beyond delivering humanitarian aid. It also aims to transport healthcare workers, teachers, infrastructure and environmental engineering teams, lawyers, and war crimes investigators into the besieged Gaza Strip. More than 1,000 doctors, nurses, and medical personnel are expected to participate.
Yıldırım described the humanitarian situation driving the campaign, stating: “They are obstructing aid and not allowing it in. Instead, they provide low-calorie food, effectively condemning people to hunger and disease.”
He added: “We must not assume that Israel will prolong this situation indefinitely. At any moment, it could resume large-scale massacres. We must remain vigilant. If we do not want to bear responsibility before God for these children, women, and civilians, we must do everything we can. For this reason, resuming maritime movement in the Mediterranean, considered a key step toward a ceasefire, is critically important.”
In October last year, Israeli forces seized 41 vessels carrying around 400 participants from the Global Resilience Flotilla heading to Gaza to break the blockade. The flotilla reported being attacked by approximately 10 Israeli ships and issued a distress call after being intercepted in international waters, describing the escalation as a “war crime.”
The incident sparked public protests and official condemnations in several countries, along with calls to release detained activists and hold Israel accountable for violations of international law. International organizations, including Amnesty International, called for protection of the flotilla, while the United Nations stated that the attack was “unacceptable.”
This marks the first time that such a large number of vessels will sail together toward Gaza, home to approximately 2.4 million Palestinians, in a collective attempt to break the Zionist regime's blockade that has been in place for 18 years.
The Freedom Flotilla first attempted to break the blockade in 2010, when Zionist regime's forces intercepted the Mavi Marmara vessel, resulting in the deaths and injuries of several Turkish activists and civilians. The incident led to a diplomatic crisis between Türkiye and Israel, which was resolved years later with an Israeli apology and compensation to the victims’ families.