It is made up of around twenty boats and 300 crew members.
The twenty vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla that had to return to the Port of Barcelona on Sunday night due to bad weather began gradually leaving at 7:30 p.m. this Monday to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The flotilla departed this Sunday from Barcelona’s Moll de la Fusta with around 300 people, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.
Shortly after setting sail, the flotilla decided to return to port due to “adverse weather conditions” and postpone the crossing to avoid complications with smaller boats.
“With winds of over 30 knots and the unpredictable nature of the Mediterranean, we have made the decision to prioritize the safety and well-being of all participants and ensure the success of the mission,” the organization explained in a statement on Monday.
After meeting on Monday morning, the organization finally decided to resume the expedition in the afternoon, following an improvement in weather conditions.
THREAT FROM ISRAEL
The organization made this decision despite learning that Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, has presented a proposal to the government to toughen the response to the flotilla’s arrival, which involves labeling the activists traveling on board as “terrorists.”
One of the flotilla’s coordinators, activist Saif Abukeshek, has stated that Israel treats them as terrorists “to justify its crimes.”
“Israel classifies all Palestinians as terrorists, whether they live one day or 100 years. In other words, this Israeli policy is used to justify the crimes they want to commit,” Abukeshek stressed, noting that both the mission and the materials they are transporting are legal.
