ISTANBUL, (PIC)
The Global Sumud Flotilla is set to depart on Thursday from the Mediterranean coastal city of Marmaris in a renewed international attempt to break the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, with the participation of 54 vessels and more than 500 international activists and solidarity campaigners.
The announcement came during a press conference held by several members of the fleet’s board of directors in Marmaris, including Saif Abu Kishk, who stressed that global efforts to challenge the blockade would continue despite repeated Israeli threats.
Abu Kishk said Israel “does not respect human rights or international law,” adding that activists had decided to continue organizing missions to break the siege after considering the scale of suffering endured by Palestinians over recent years.
He stated that 54 ships would depart from Marmaris toward Gaza, including five vessels affiliated with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, carrying participants from multiple nationalities.
According to Abu Kishk, Israel is imposing what he described as a “slow genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza through deliberate starvation policies, alongside what he called a colonial project aimed at displacing Palestinians in the West Bank.
#تركيا
#غزة
مساء غد، سينطلق أسطول الصمود من ميناء مرمريس بـ 54 قاربا وأكثر من 500 مشاركا، في مهمة إنسانية لفك الحصار الجائر عن قطاع غزة و الذي دام أكثر من 18 سنة و هو أطول حصار يعرفه تاريخ البشرية pic.twitter.com/hq0n61Dzyr— Dr. Atman
(@athmane_dza) May 13, 2026
The initiative follows an Israeli military operation carried out on 29 April in international waters near the Greek island of Crete targeting vessels linked to the Sumud Flotilla.
The flotilla at the time included 345 participants from 39 countries. Israeli forces reportedly detained 21 boats carrying around 175 activists, while other vessels continued toward Greek territorial waters.
The latest mission is part of a series of international efforts to challenge the blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007, which has contributed to a deepening humanitarian crisis that worsened dramatically following the outbreak of the genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, accompanied by widespread destruction and the displacement of nearly 1.5 million Palestinians.
