On Sunday, approximately 20 ships as part of the "Resilience Fleet" set sail from the Spanish port of Barcelona, followed by another convoy at dawn on Monday from the port of Genoa in northwestern Italy.
These ships are expected to meet up with another convoy departing from Tunisia on September 4, before continuing its journey towards Gaza in the coming days.
The flotilla consists of the Freedom Flotilla Federation, the Global Gaza Movement, the Steadfastness Flotilla, and the Malaysian "Sumud Nusantara" organization.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), welcomed the flotilla, which includes thousands of activists and dozens of ships carrying tons of aid.
Larkey explained that "the United Nations, in principle, welcomes any initiative that could contribute to delivering more of the aid needed by the people of Gaza, provided it is provided in accordance with humanitarian principles and with dignity."
"We are not afraid of Israel"
In a related context, Turkish activist Ayçin Kantoğlu, who arrived in Tunisia to participate in the Global Steadfastness Flotilla to break the Israeli siege on Gaza, stated that she was "exploding" from the tragic scenes of Israeli crimes against the Palestinians, and that there was no longer any room for fear, saying, "We are not afraid of Israel."
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Ayçin Kantoğlu, a member of the Turkish delegation to the flotilla, said, "The Global Steadfastness Flotilla is an extension of previous attempts that began with the Mavi Marmara ship, followed by the Madeleine and Handala ships."
Turkish activist Ayçin Kantoğlu, who arrived in Tunisia to participate in the Global Steadfastness Flotilla, said: "We are not afraid of Israel."
She added, "This time, nearly 1,000 activists from 44 countries are seeking to cross this path again with the aim of breaking the blockade, and we, as a Turkish delegation, are proud to be part of this blessed initiative." She emphasized that strict measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the activists and the safety of the flotilla, noting that they cannot disclose details of the Turkish delegation, the port, or the departure date for security reasons.
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The Turkish activist expressed her belief that the siege on Gaza would be broken this year, saying, "This is not just about delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, but also about ending the impunity of those who starve people and leave them to die." She noted that approximately 500,000 people had applied to participate in the Steadfastness Flotilla.
"A matter of conscience"
For her part, Turkish broadcaster Iqbal Gurpinar, who participated in the flotilla, described contributing to breaking the siege on Gaza as a "matter of conscience" for people, saying, "Like the ant that carried water to extinguish Abraham's fire, or the little bird, I wanted to make a contribution, even if it was a small one."
Turkish broadcaster Iqbal Gurpinar, who participated in the flotilla, described contributing to breaking the siege on Gaza as a "matter of conscience" for people.
She continued, "This is essentially a matter of conscience. We can no longer stand by and watch the deaths of children and the suffering of mothers and fathers for two years, which is why we decided to participate in this event." Gurpinar emphasized that they are carrying out purely peaceful work, far from violence.
She concluded by saying, "People all over the world are suffering from this situation. We are sailing without any weapons, ammunition, or sharp tools. Our goal is for the entire world to see that this crisis can be resolved through peaceful means. We hope to succeed in doing so."
Since March 2, Israel has closed all crossings into Gaza, preventing any humanitarian aid from entering the territory. This has plunged the Strip into famine, despite the backlog of aid trucks at its borders.
However, about a month ago, it allowed the entry of very meager quantities of aid, which did not meet the minimum needs of the starving. Meanwhile, the famine continues, with most trucks being robbed by gangs under Israeli protection, according to a previous statement from the government media office in Gaza.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 63,557 Palestinians dead, 160,660 injured, most of them children and women, more than 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that has killed 348 Palestinians, including 127 children.
