Climate activist Greta Thunberg on Sunday announced her second flotilla mission, which will carry aid to Gaza. This time, multiple ships will take part.The operation will launch from Spain and make several stops at different ports to reach the Palestinian people.The Swedish protester is planning to mobilise activists from 44 countries for a large-scale flotilla mission. The campaign is set to launch on August 31. Thunberg took to her social media platform Instagram to announce the decision.“On August 31st we are launching the biggest attempt ever to break the illegal Israeli siege over Gaza with dozens of boats sailing from Spain. We will meet dozens more on September 4th sailing from Tunisia and other ports. We are also mobilizing more than 44 countries on simultaneous demonstrations and actions to break complicity in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Join this initiative on this decisive moment!”
About the mission
The effort is called the “Global Sumud Flotilla.” It will include humanitarian activists, doctors and artists such as US actor Susan Sarandon, Swedish actor Gustaf Skarsgård and Irish actor Liam Cunningham. The group says it is an “independent” organisation not linked to any government or political party, reports news agency AFP.The mission comes after two earlier attempts to deliver aid by ship to Gaza, in June and July, were blocked by Israel, with troops boarding the vessels and detaining activists before expelling them.
Previous trip: Interception of Madleen
On June 9, Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a British-flagged yacht, Madleen. The ship was operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, as it attempted to break the naval blockade of Gaza. Greta Thunberg was among those on board. The vessel had planned to deliver aid, including rice and baby formula, and to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis.Israel’s foreign ministry captured the vessel and dismissed the mission as a stunt, calling Thunberg an “antisemite”. “The ‘Selfie Yacht’ docked at Ashdod Port a short while ago. The passengers are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health,” the ministry posted on X, adding that any remaining aid “not consumed by the ‘celebrities’ will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.”Israeli defence minister Israel Katz had ordered the military to block the vessel, describing the trip as propaganda for Hamas.The activists were detained in international waters before being returned to their home countries. A photograph showed the crew in life jackets with their hands raised. Hamas condemned the seizure as “state terrorism”.
‘Mission isn’t over’
The UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, backed the flotilla launched in June and called on more boats to challenge the blockade. She said, “Madleen’s journey may have ended, but the mission isn’t over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza.”Israel has maintained a naval blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control in 2007, citing the need to prevent weapons smuggling. The Israel-Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed more than 1,200 people. 61,000 Palestinian deaths have been reported since, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
