• A flotilla of over 20 boats departs Barcelona to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
• Participants include Greta Thunberg, Liam Cunningham, and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.
• The mission aims to challenge Israel's blockade and address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
• The flotilla was previously forced to return due to stormy weather but has now resumed its journey.
• More boats from Italy and Tunisia are expected to join, potentially bringing the total to over 60 vessels.

The Global Sumud Flotilla has successfully departed from Barcelona, aiming to deliver crucial humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip after bad weather had initially forced it to return to port. The flotilla, comprising more than 20 boats and approximately 200 activists, politicians, and artists from 44 countries, set sail late Monday night, buoyed by a clear forecast and strong public support from those who rallied at the docks the previous day. The mission is driven by a collective determination to "open a humanitarian corridor" and challenge Israel’s blockade, which organizers describe as illegal and inhumane, according to AA and Al Jazeera.

Among the notable participants is Greta Thunberg, who emphasized the urgency of their mission at a press event. “Today’s news is not that this flotilla is setting out, but rather how the world can remain silent and how politicians can betray and abandon the Palestinian people,” she declared, reflecting on the dire humanitarian crisis affecting Gaza, which has intensified due to Israel's blockade. Thunberg is not a newcomer to this effort; she previously attempted to reach Gaza earlier this year but was deported after the boat she was on was intercepted by Israeli authorities, as reported by BBC and Channel News Asia.

The flotilla aims to deliver not only food and medical supplies but also to raise awareness of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where a declared famine has left half a million people in catastrophic conditions due to the ongoing war and blockade. The situation remains critical, underlined by Thunberg’s call to action and the presence of prominent activists such as Liam Cunningham and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, who have spoken out against international inaction. As they navigate towards Gaza, additional boats are set to join from near Mediterranean ports to bolster the mission, according to Los Angeles Times and Middle East Eye.

The Global Sumud Flotilla represents a significant diplomatic and humanitarian initiative, characterized as the largest coordinated civilian flotilla to challenge Israel's blockade to date. With calls from groups like Amnesty International not to obstruct the mission, activists continue to express hope that this maritime effort will successfully deliver humanitarian assistance to those in desperate need in Gaza, echoing sentiments shared by activists from across the world, as detailed by TRT Global and HuffPost.