An international flotilla of aid and solidarity has departed from Barcelona, aiming to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza and highlight the worsening humanitarian catastrophe. The Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying more than 300 activists, politicians, doctors and artists from over 40 countries, set sail on around 20 boats in what organisers describe as a peaceful mission rooted in solidarity and humanity.

Barcelona, which cut institutional ties with Israel earlier this year in protest against the war on Gaza, was chosen as the symbolic starting point. Among those on board are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, Spanish actor Eduardo Fernandez, and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau. Each emphasised that silence in the face of mass killings amounts to complicity, with Gaza serving as a test of global conscience.

Thunberg condemned Israel’s actions as genocide, warning that governments which remain silent share responsibility. Fernandez described Gaza as “a mirror reflecting all of us,” while Cunningham urged sanctions to halt the massacres. Colau declared that international civilian mobilisation has become necessary to push institutions into action, stressing that “Gaza is not alone.”

As hundreds gathered in Barcelona port to wave Palestinian flags and chant “Free Palestine” and “Boycott Israel,” the flotilla revived the spirit of steadfastness captured in the Arabic word Sumud, resilience and non-violent resistance. With previous flotillas intercepted in international waters, participants acknowledged the risks ahead, yet vowed to persist until Gaza’s isolation is broken and a humanitarian corridor is secured.