Against the backdrop of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and following last year’s failed attempt, international activists announced on Thursday a new international flotilla of more than 100 ships to challenge the Israeli blockade, which will include an ambitious maritime expedition larger than all previous ones as well as a land convoy, and which will seek to bring humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian territory.
Organisations of the so-called Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) confirmed at a press conference yesterday at the Nelson Mandela Foundation headquarters in South Africa that a flotilla of more than 100 ships will set sail for Gaza on 29 March 2026, according to international media reports.
The new flotilla will thus far outnumber the 50 or so vessels that took part in the aborted 2025 attempt, which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters. In addition, some 3,000 volunteers from more than 100 countries, including doctors, engineers and war crimes investigators, are expected to participate.
The mission will not be limited to the sea: a land convoy will depart simultaneously from several North African countries, with the intention of entering the territory through border crossings such as Rafah if the authorities allow it. According to the organisers, this two-pronged strategy aims to create a “sustainable humanitarian corridor” in response to hunger, the deterioration of health services and the devastation of infrastructure in Gaza.
Aim: to make visible the situation in Gaza
This new initiative comes amidst a tense diplomatic context in the Israeli state’s relations with several countries after last year’s previous Sumud flotilla was intercepted by Israel, which detained hundreds of participants – including prominent figures such as Greta Thunberg – sparking protests in several European cities against the Israeli intervention, amid accusations of abuse and torture against the activists.
Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela and one of the leaders of the project, said that the mobilisation seeks to “defend justice and dignity for all” in statements collected by agencies, and stressed that the objective is not only to deliver supplies, but to make visible the situation in Gaza under Israeli siege and the limited arrival of international aid that continues to reach the Strip.
The Israeli authorities have previously described these initiatives as mere “publicity” actions, denying that they are blocking the entry of essential aid to Gaza, although many international humanitarian organisations claim that the arrival of aid to the Palestinian enclave is still clearly insufficient.
With this new international flotilla, activists hope not only to challenge the naval blockade on Gaza, but also to draw international attention to one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the Middle East and demand a more active role for the international community in protecting the rights of Palestinian civilians.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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