BARCELONA, Spain — A flotilla headed to Gaza that had departed Barcelona under much fanfare was forced back to port after a storm hit parts of Spain overnight.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of around 20 boats with participants from 44 countries, chose to return and delay its departure to “prioritize safety,” a statement said Monday.
Facing winds of over 35 miles per hour, some of the smaller boats taking part in the mission would have been at risk, it said.
The flotilla is the largest attempt yet to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory by sea.
This comes as Israel has stepped up its offensive on Gaza City, limiting the deliveries of food and basic supplies in the north of the Palestinian territory. Food experts warned earlier this month that the city was in famine and that half a million people across the strip were facing catastrophic levels of hunger.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters had gathered under a scorching sun on the docks of Barcelona’s old port Sunday to cheer the mission as it took off.
Spain’s national weather agency AEMET had issued warnings of rainfall and strong storms for the region of Catalonia, as well as other parts of Spain.
It was unclear when the maritime convoy would depart Barcelona again. Other boats are expected to join from across the Mediterranean in the coming days, including from Tunis and Sicily.
The wide variety of boats, flying Palestinian flags, range from rundown old luxury yachts to tiny wooden sailboats and industrial-looking vessels. One of them, the Sirus, is more than 100 years old.
Around 70 boats are expected to take part in the final leg of the journey, flotilla spokesperson Saif Abukeshek told Spanish public television after the departure. The fleet could reach Gaza around Sept. 14 or 15, he added.
“The story here is about Palestine. The story here is how people are being deliberately deprived of the very basic means to survive,” said Swedish activist Greta Thunberg at a news conference. She is one of the most recognizable figures on the expedition, formed by hundreds of activists, politicians such as the former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, and journalists.
The flotilla also received support from Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon and Liam Cunningham, known for his role in the HBO series “Game of Thrones.”
The Israeli military is likely to try and stop the boats from getting near Gaza, as they have done in the past.
Ships carrying tons of humanitarian aid departed from the Italian city of Genoa and will join the expedition in the coming days.
It is not the first time Thunberg has attempted to reach Gaza waters this year. She was deported by Israel in June when the ship she was traveling on with 11 other people, the Madleen, was stopped by the Israeli military.
“It has been very clear that Israel has been continuously violating international law by either attacking, unlawfully intercepting the boats in international waters, and continuously preventing the humanitarian aid from coming in,” said Thunberg in an interview with The Associated Press on Saturday.
The flotilla will be the fourth attempt to break the maritime blockade so far this year.
The Conscience first tried in May, but was attacked by drones after setting sail from Malta. After the Madleen, the Israeli military stopped another aid ship, the Handala, in late July, detained 21 international activists and reporters and seized its cargo, including baby formula, food and medicine, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
In a news conference before the departure in Barcelona, Cunningham played a video showing a girl singing while planning her own funeral. The girl, Fatima, died four days ago, he said.
“What sort of world have we slid into where children are making their own funeral arrangements?” Cunningham told reporters.
An Israeli official said Saturday that the country will soon halt or slow humanitarian aid into parts of northern Gaza, as it expands its military offensive against Hamas, a day after the city was declared a combat zone.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when an attack by Hamas militants inside Israel claimed the lives of 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took 251 people hostage.
