Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is not messing around. She is currently preparing a humanitarian mission to breach the blockade of Gaza. The 37-boat flotilla, carrying activists from more than 25 countries and a dozen European parliamentarians, is to set sail from Barcelona on Sunday. This initiative, organized by the Global Sumud Flotilla, seeks to “open a humanitarian corridor and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.”
Greta Thunberg, internationally recognized for her climate activism, is one member of the steering committee for the flotilla. Medical professionals and humanitarian advocates The mission comes after multiple successful aid missions were forcibly turned away by Israeli military forces. One of those was a particularly dramatic scene of Thunberg’s detention and expulsion this past June. She was returning from a climate justice mission on the Union sailboat, Madleen, intercepted 185 kilometers west of Gaza.
This upcoming voyage will not be simply a maritime expedition. It is the backdrop for synchronized demonstrations in 44 other countries, each expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people. Thunberg made these protests known on Instagram, highlighting the demand for collective action to stop the growing humanitarian crisis.
The flotilla will feature inspiring activists such as former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau and Portuguese lawmaker Mariana Mortágua. Both leaders firmly defend the legality of the mission under international law. Both Mortágua and Thunberg have been clear that they see this as a practical response to a humanitarian crisis.
“This will be the largest solidarity mission in history, with more people and more boats than all previous attempts combined,” said Thiago Ávila, a spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla.
The Global Sumud Flotilla strongly yet fervently argues that international law favors its mission. In doing so, they hope to bust through what they describe as an “illegal siege of Gaza.” I can assure you that these activists are working hard and planning well. They are determined to ensure their work brings fresh, urgent aid to the region and shines a spotlight on the continuing humanitarian crisis there.