More than 50 ships from across the world are set to converge near Malta before sailing together toward Gaza, carrying humanitarian aid and international activists determined to break the suffocating blockade. The vessels departed in stages from ports in Tunisia, Italy, Greece, and Libya, with Spanish ships joining the mission after brief technical stops in Tunisia.

Onboard are hundreds of activists from over 40 countries, including doctors, parliamentarians, community leaders, and volunteers from North Africa, Malaysia, Turkey, and beyond. They are bringing relief supplies, medicines, and infant formula to civilians who have endured nearly two years of relentless siege and bombardment. Organisers emphasise that any attack on the flotilla would be a grave violation of international law, as the ships carry only humanitarian aid and non-violent participants.

The mission represents a significant act of global solidarity with Gaza’s population, where the ongoing genocide has claimed over 64,900 lives and left more than 165,000 wounded, the majority women and children. Starvation and famine have also claimed hundreds of lives, including scores of children, as the civilian population continues to endure systematic deprivation and violence.