• Activists plan a major aid flotilla to Gaza with over 100 boats set to depart in March.
• The mission includes around 1,000 medical professionals and activists.
• Last year's flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces, leading to detentions.
• Organizers highlight the growing humanitarian needs in Gaza despite a ceasefire.
• International law is cited as a basis for the flotilla's legitimacy against Israel's actions.

Activists announced plans for a significant humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza, aiming for more than 100 boats to set sail in March. The organizers, meeting at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, emphasized this mission as the largest civilian-led mobilization against Israel's actions in the Palestinian enclave, seeking to bring around 1,000 participants including medical professionals, activists, and war crime investigators, according to africanews and Reuters.

The flotilla, named the Global Sumud Flotilla, is described as a coordinated humanitarian intervention to address the dire conditions in Gaza, as reported at the announcement event. Notable figures like Mandla Mandela emphasized the importance of this effort, stating, "It is a cause ... for those that want to rise and stand for justice and dignity for all," according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

Last year, the Israeli military detained over 450 flotilla participants, including prominent activists such as Greta Thunberg and Mandla Mandela, during attempts to reach Gaza. Organizers indicated that they anticipate similar challenges in this new effort, but are determined to highlight Gaza's humanitarian crisis despite Israeli criticisms labeling such missions as publicity stunts. "We may not have reached Gaza physically but we have reached ... the people in Gaza," said activist Susan Abdallah, reflecting a sentiment shared among the organizers, according to africanews, Reuters, and Al Jazeera.

Organizers are coordinating a land convoy alongside the flotilla to gain broader support from Arab countries, predicting it may attract thousands more activists. This collective effort seeks to break through existing obstacles while drawing attention to pressing humanitarian needs in the region, where aid supplies are reportedly insufficient following a recent ceasefire, according to africanews, Reuters, and Al Jazeera.