Global Sumud Flotilla: Dozens of boats carrying aid, including from Italy, to Gaza to break Israel's siege.
The initiative at the end of August
Sumud means "resistance" in Arabic, and the vessels are from 44 countries. Organizers say it's "the largest civilian maritime mission ever attempted." A mobilization has been organized in Genoa to load 45 tons of food supplies.
Dozens of vessels will set sail to get as close as possible to the Gaza Strip , attempting to break Israel 's naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to the bombed-out civilian population. Organizers have called the Global Sumud Flotilla "the largest civilian maritime mission ever attempted toward Gaza." The word Sumud in Arabic means resistance, resilience, and perseverance. The transnational flotilla demands: "End the siege, end the genocide, end the weaponization of hunger, and end the dehumanization."
The initiative will begin at the end of the month, on August 31st. The boats will arrive from 44 countries . From Italy, Genoa, on August 31st, and from Sicily, on August 4th. A general mobilization has also been organized in Genoa, with Music for Peace and the Autonomous Port Workers Collective (CALP) to collect 45 tons of food to be shipped on August 30th. They will join other boats departing from other ports and countries. At the moment, it is known that they will definitely depart from Barcelona and Tunisia . The blockade imposed by the Jewish State on the Gaza Strip has been in place since 2007.
"We are a coalition of ordinary people (organizers, humanitarian workers, doctors, artists, priests, lawyers, and sailors) who believe in human dignity and the power of nonviolent action," the initiative's official website states. "Although we belong to/have different nations, faiths, and political beliefs, we are united by a single truth: the siege and genocide must end. We are independent, international, and unaffiliated with any government or political party. Our allegiance is to justice, freedom, and the sanctity of human life."
This isn't entirely new: in 2008, two boats from the Free Gaza Movement even managed to land in the Strip. Vittorio Arrigoni , the Italian activist killed in Gaza in 2011, was on board. Two years later, the Freedom Flotilla boats were attacked by the Israeli Navy, killing nine activists. In early June, the Freedom Flotilla, carrying environmental activist Greta Thunberg, was blocked by the navy. The Flotilla's official website states that the initiative is not illegal: "The Israeli occupation's blockade of Gaza constitutes collective punishment, a violation of the Geneva Conventions . Civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid or participating in peaceful protests in international waters are protected by maritime law."
The Global Sumud Flotilla will consist largely of small vessels. The maritime route was chosen because " aid is often delayed, limited, or turned into death traps. By sea, we bypass these systems and confront the blockade head-on. These vessels aren't just carrying aid; they're carrying a message: the siege must end." Dozens of Italian activists will be on board. Maria Elena Delia is a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla's Board of Directors and the Italian Coordinator of the Global Movement to Gaza.
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