Online Desk : A flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and international activists, including Swedish climate advocate Greta Thunberg, is scheduled to depart from Barcelona on Sunday in an effort to "break the illegal siege of Gaza," according to organisers from the Global Sumud Flotilla.

The mission aims to create a humanitarian corridor and draw attention to what organisers describe as “the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.” Details about the number of vessels and exact departure time have not been disclosed, but the group expects to reach Gaza by mid-September.

“This will be the largest solidarity mission in history, with more people and more boats than all previous attempts combined,” said Brazilian activist Thiago Avila at a press briefing in Barcelona last week.

Dozens more vessels are expected to depart from Tunisian and other Mediterranean ports on September 4. Activists in 44 countries are also planning simultaneous demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians, according to Thunberg, who is part of the flotilla’s steering committee.

The mission includes participants from several countries, European lawmakers, and public figures such as former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau. Portuguese MP Mariana Mortagua, who will join the voyage, said the initiative is “a legal mission under international law.”

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which describes itself as an independent initiative unaffiliated with any government or political party, takes its name from the Arabic word "sumud," meaning perseverance.

Israel has previously intercepted two flotillas attempting to deliver aid to Gaza this year. In June, a vessel named Madleen carrying 12 activists—including Thunberg—was stopped by Israeli forces 185 kilometres off the coast. The passengers were detained and later deported. A second ship, Handala, was intercepted in July, with 21 activists from 10 countries onboard.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deepened significantly in recent weeks. The United Nations declared a state of famine in the enclave this month, warning that around 500,000 people are living in “catastrophic” conditions.

The conflict escalated following a deadly Hamas-led attack into Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, based on official Israeli data. Since then, Israel’s military response has resulted in the deaths of at least 63,371 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry, which are considered reliable by the United Nations.