Dozens of ships and thousands of activists are preparing to set sail for Gaza between August 31 and September 4, as part of the civil society initiative Global Sumud Flotilla. Their aim is to deliver humanitarian aid and put pressure on the international community to intervene in the dire situation in the area.
The departure dates and ports vary: on August 31st the first fleet will depart from Spain and Genoa, while on September 4th the rest will depart from Sicily, Tunisia and Greece. All the ships will set off towards Gaza, bringing together representatives from many countries around the world.
Amid the risk of a violent backlash, activists including Greta Thunberg will set off from Barcelona despite a previous ban on entry to Israel. The ships' crews will include MEPs, journalists, lawyers and doctors. The name "Sumud" in Arabic denotes resistance, endurance, strength and perseverance.
This initiative follows previous efforts by the Global March to Gaza and the Maghreb Sumud Convoy to reach the area by land, and has also included a Southeast Asian bloc with participants from Indonesia, Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand and the Philippines.
Organizers emphasize that it is a peaceful, non-violent initiative. For this reason, the fleet consists of small boats with no more than eleven passengers, to avoid misunderstandings and not be seen as a threat. However, Israel's reactions to previous missions have always been violent, including drone strikes and arrests of activists in international waters.
The organizers acknowledge that there is a risk of a violent reaction, but emphasize that they cannot remain indifferent to the situation in Gaza, where violations of international rights and lack of humanity are evident. They demand that the governments of the countries represented guarantee the safety of the participants.
In Italy, in Genoa and several other ports, the collection of humanitarian aid and medicine is being organized, with the objective of sending over 45 tons of aid to Gaza, and the organizers aim to exceed this amount.
This mission marks one of the largest efforts by civil society to break the blockade and draw international attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Taken from La Repubblica
