Flotilla, featuring Greta Thunberg and European politicians, prepares to voyage towards Gaza, aiming to provide humanitarian aid.

Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist, is leading a historic humanitarian flotilla that is due to depart from Barcelona on Sunday. This mission, dubbed the Global Sumud Flotilla, aims to break the illegal siege of Gaza and open a humanitarian corridor.

The flotilla, which includes activists from over 40 countries, boasts around 20 boats and about 300 participants. Notable named participants include Bruno Gilga from the Brazilian Mouvement Révolutionnaire des Travailleurs (MRT), Ada Colau (former mayor of Barcelona), German activist Yasemin Acar, and lawyer Melanie Schweizer, a member of the DiEM25 party. The action is supported by the Spanish central government and Barcelona's city council.

Greta Thunberg, as part of the flotilla's steering committee, announced the mission on Instagram. The flotilla is expected to be the largest solidarity mission in history, with more people and more boats than all previous attempts combined. Simultaneous demonstrations and other protests in 44 countries are planned "in solidarity with the Palestinian people."

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened in recent weeks, leading to the United Nations declaring a state of famine in the territory this month. The war in Gaza was triggered by an unprecedented cross-border attack by Palestinian group Hamas into Israel on October 7, 2023. At least 63,371 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The UN considers these figures reliable.

The flotilla is an independent group not linked to any government or political party. Israel has blocked two previous attempts by activists to deliver aid by ship to Gaza, in June and July. In June, a sailboat named Madleen, with passengers from France, Germany, Brazil, Turkey, Sweden, Spain, and the Netherlands, was intercepted by Israeli forces 185 kilometers (115 miles) west of Gaza. The passengers on the Madleen sailboat were detained and eventually expelled by Israel. A similar incident occurred in July, when 21 activists from 10 countries were intercepted as they tried to approach Gaza in another vessel, the Handala.

Mariana Mortagua, a left-wing Portuguese lawmaker, stated that the mission is understood to be a legal one under international law. Sumud, the name of the flotilla, means "perseverance" in Arabic. The flotilla includes activists from several countries, European lawmakers, and public figures such as former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.

The flotilla is expected to arrive at the war-ravaged coastal enclave of Gaza in mid-September. Dozens of other vessels are expected to leave Tunisian and other Mediterranean ports on September 4, joining the humanitarian flotilla. The world watches as this historic mission embarks on its journey, bringing hope to the people of Gaza.