Turkish activists join ‘expanding’ Sumud flotilla for Gaza

The Spanish port of Barcelona is set to see off activists of the second Global Sumud Flotilla later on Sunday.

Activists from Türkiye will soon join the flotilla, which aims to break the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian enclave Gaza, where tens of thousands of people have been slaughtered by Israel since 2023 and many more have been left to survive on limited means.

About 30 boats planned to leave the Mediterranean port city laden with medical aid ⁠and other supplies on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and more vessels are expected to join along the route toward Palestine.

Sümeyra Akdeniz Ordu, one of the Turkish activists and organizers of the flotilla, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday that they expanded their strategy this time and it was not only about breaking the blockade through a sea route. “We will also launch a land convoy and hold a congress on April 22. She said “the unity at sea and land” will launch pressure on governments that endorsed Israel’s genocide. Ordu is the only Turkish organizer of the flotilla and said their numbers will be higher this time.

“In our first attempt, we achieved some concrete results. For instance, Palestinian fishermen were able to fish off the coast of Gaza after a long time because Israelis were too distracted as they were busy with stopping us. Then, we witnessed a cease-fire even if it was not fully honored. Moreover, we had the support of Palestinians who invited us again. We are doing this because they expect us,” she stated.

The Israeli military halted the roughly 40 boats assembled by the same organization last October as they attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 other participants.

Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its more than 2 million residents. ⁠Yet Palestinians ⁠and international aid bodies say supplies reaching the territory are still insufficient, despite a cease-fire reached in October, which included guarantees of increased aid.

Liam Cunningham, an actor who starred in the “Game of Thrones” television series who is supporting the flotilla but not taking part, told Reuters: “Every kilogram of aid that is on these ships is a failure because all these people ⁠on these ships giving up their time to help their fellow human beings are doing what their governments are legally obliged to do.”

The World Health Organization has said that even during armed conflicts, states are obligated under international humanitarian law to ensure that people are able to reach medical care in safety.

“This is a mission that ⁠aims to ‌open ‌a humanitarian corridor so the aid delivery organizations ⁠can arrive,” Saif Abukeshak, a Palestinian activist ‌and member of the flotilla’s organising committee, told Reuters.

Speaking at a news conference in Ankara earlier this week, Zeynel Abidin Özkan, a Turkish activist who took part in the first flotilla, said that number of boats will increase this time. “More boats will join them in Italian, Greek and Turkish territorial waters,” he said.

Created in 2025 by NGO representatives, activists and volunteers from various countries, the flotilla last sailed in September with 42 boats and 462 people. This time, it will have at least 70 boats and nearly 1,000 volunteers from 70 countries.

One of the flotilla’s spokespersons, Pablo Castilla, stated that the main goal of the initiative is “to condemn international complicity in what is happening in Gaza, demand accountability, and open a humanitarian corridor by sea and land.” Castilla expressed concern that international attention on Gaza has declined due to U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, and Israel’s actions in Lebanon. “Israel has intensified the blockade on Gaza, restricted aid entry, expanded settlements, and accelerated land confiscation,” he said.

Other organizers emphasized that they are acting within the law and that the mission is being coordinated with Palestinian civil society organizations, legal experts, politicians and specialists in maritime security and media strategy. This year, the participation of well-known NGOs such as Greenpeace and Open Arms, along with increased support from the Barcelona municipality, stands out.

During the flotilla’s previous attempt in September, Israeli forces stopped the vessels in what organizers described as an unlawful intervention, boarded them, detained volunteers and took them to Israel.

Israeli naval forces initially boarded several boats about 70 nautical miles off the Gaza coast, cutting communications and blocking signals. They also used drones to interfere, disrupting emergency signals and live broadcasts of the boarding.

The Gaza Strip needs around 450 tons of flour daily, while only around 200 tons are currently available, Gaza’s government media office said Sunday.

Israel is intensifying a policy of “engineered starvation” in Gaza by restricting flour supplies, the office said in a statement.

Despite the cease-fire agreement that allows the entry of 600 trucks per day, Israel allows only 38% of pre-war supply, it added.

The office said the crisis worsened after World Central Kitchen halted its flour support, as the U.S.-based charity previously provided 20 to 30 tons daily, while the World Food Program reduced its supplies from 300 to 200 tons per day, adding that several other organizations have also suspended their bread and flour programs to the enclave.

About 1.9 million people in Gaza, out of a population of 2.4 million, remain displaced and live in harsh conditions in worn-out tents after their homes were destroyed during Israel’s two-year war.

Despite the cease-fire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, living conditions have not significantly improved, amid Israel’s failure to allow the agreed levels of humanitarian aid, including food, medical supplies and shelter materials.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and injured about 172,000 others, and has caused widespread destruction affecting around 90% of civilian infrastructure.

DAILYSABAH