Middle East: Large brisk small boats against Gaza blockade

Propalestinian activists want to break through the Israeli sea blockade of the Gaza Strip with dozens of smaller boats and bring relief supplies into the coastal strips. The “Global Sumud Flotilla” is the largest campaign of its kind so far, the organizers said at the start of the first 20 boats with a total of more than 300 participants from over 40 countries in Barcelona.

Hundreds of people adopted the activists in the Spanish Mediterranean metropolis. “Sumud” means steadfastness in Arabic.

One of the organizers, who lives in Spain, Palestinian Saif Abukeschek accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. He called on politics to put pressure on Israel for a success of the campaign. The “illegal blockade” and killing in the coastal strip would have to be ended.

The activist Greta Thunberg, who has become world famous with her rigorous struggle for more climate protection, is also part of the party. The Swede has been committed to the interests of the Palestinian population for a long time. Your credo: Without social justice, there could be no climate justice.

Thunberg recently failed with a solidarity campaign on board the “Madleen”. Israeli soldiers entered the “Madleen” on June 9, 2025 around 200 kilometers off the coast of the Gaza Strip and brought them to the Israeli port of Aschdod. Thunberg and other activists were then shown. In Israel, she was accused of being part of a PR campaign.

Greta Thunberg rejects anti-Semitism allegations

Thunberg repeatedly accuses Israel of committing a genocide of the Palestinians. Critics, on the other hand, hold out to ignore the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, which triggered the Gaza War in her allegations. Around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were dragged into the Gaza strips as hostages. Critics also accuse Thunberg that she has not publicly called for the hostage of the hostages.

Anti-Semitism allegations rejected the 22-year-old in Barcelona again: “It is not anti-Semitic that we should not bomb people that nobody should live under a crew that everyone should have the right to live in freedom and dignity-no matter who you are,” Thunberg told the British broadcaster Sky News.

In the past, Israel has always prevented such attempts to break the blockade, and recently it was a boat from Italy in July.

6,000-kilometer ride should take two weeks

According to the organizers of the “Global Sumud Flotilla”, many more boats from other countries should join many other boats during the approximately 6,000 kilometer journey towards Gaza. Overall, the participation of activists from 44 countries is planned. It should take at least two weeks for the flotilla to reach the waters in front of the Gaza Strip.

The campaign is supported in Spain, among other things, by the central government in Madrid and the town hall in Barcelona. The second deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor Yolanda Díaz from the coalition junior partner Sumar thanked the initiative and called again to expose diplomatic relationships with Israel.