• A flotilla set sail from Barcelona to Gaza carrying humanitarian aid amid escalating conflict.
• Activists argue that the blockade is depriving Palestinians of basic necessities, with extreme hunger reported.
• The maritime convoy includes around 20 boats from 44 countries, aiming for safe passage to deliver aid.

A flotilla comprising humanitarian aid and notable activists, including Greta Thunberg and Liam Cunningham, departed from Barcelona on Sunday, aiming to breach the long-standing Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The Global Sumud Flotilla is carrying essential supplies such as food, water, and medicine as conditions worsen in Gaza City, where reports indicate a severe famine affecting half a million people. Thunberg emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "The story here is about Palestine," and highlighted the need for international response, according to CBS News and HuffPost.

As Israel intensifies its military actions against Gaza City, the humanitarian situation deteriorates further, prompting this flotilla’s launch - the largest initiative to break the blockade by sea to date. Organizers noted that the convoy consists of about 20 boats, with additional vessels expected from Italy and Tunisia. Food experts have highlighted that the ongoing war has resulted in over 63,000 deaths, with alarming numbers of starvation-related casualties among Palestinians, according to reports from Los Angeles Times and CBS News.

The flotilla is characterized by a diverse array of support from thousands of individuals in Barcelona, many of whom chanted slogans in solidarity with Palestinians as the ships set sail. Figures like Thunberg and former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, are among the prominent activists advocating for an open humanitarian sea corridor to Gaza. In prior attempts to reach Gaza this year, both Thunberg and Cunningham faced interception by Israeli forces, with aid shipments blocked and activists detained, highlighting ongoing tensions, as reported by HuffPost and Los Angeles Times.

In a poignant moment during the flotilla's send-off, Cunningham shared a video of a young girl planning her funeral due to the dire circumstances families in Gaza face, commenting, "What sort of world have we slid into where children are making their own funeral arrangements?" This reflects the humanitarian narrative at the heart of the flotilla’s mission. The mission follows a series of prior attempts, including July's failed effort where an aid ship was seized by the Israeli military, according to CBS News and Los Angeles Times.