The International Commission to Break the Siege of Gaza has announced that it will sail from southern Italy next Wednesday to challenge the sealing of the Palestinian enclave on Sunday, adding to the efforts of the global SUMUD Flotilla.
In a statement, the committee declared: “The Freedom Flotira Union (FFC) has teamed up with Thousand Madrien to Gaza (TMTG) to announce the launch of the next wave of blockade-devastating ships.”
The move said it would include a new fleet consisting of several ships departing from southern Italy on Wednesday.
The committee added that the departure of the new fleet will “through cooperation between two global grassroots initiatives, 50 ships have already been sailing as part of the global SUMUD fleet at the same time.”
Freedom Flotilla also said it was preparing to launch a ship carrying “new and innovative ideas” at the beginning of October, but would not give any further details.
The committee emphasized that “if the suffering in Gaza grows deeper and Israeli occupation continues to commit genocide in all forms, it becomes an obligation for all free people in the world to take them to the sea, break the siege and provide a lifeline for the Gaza Strip.”
Dozens of ships have recently been sailing as part of a part of the global SUMUD Flotilla heading to Gaza.
On September 16, the committee announced that the fleet’s ships would gather near the island nation of Maltese, sail together across the Mediterranean towards the coast of Gaza, without a date.
These vessels carry humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, for the blocked territory.
This marks even more severe lockdowns in recent months, marking the first time such a large number of ships have sailed together towards Gaza, where more than 2 million Palestinians who lived under Israeli lockdown for 18 years.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed more than 65,000 Palestinians. Most of them are women and children.
The United Nations Committee on Inquiry, major rights groups, and the International Court of Justice describe the campaign as having launched a litigation under the Genocide or Genocide Convention.
Beyond deaths, Gaza faces hunger, mass displacement, and essential disruption of services.