DaysofPal — Sumud Flotilla is set to depart Thursday from the Mediterranean city of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey in a new attempt to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, with the participation of 54 ships and more than 500 international activists and supporters.
The announcement was made during a press conference held in Marmaris by members of Flotila’s organizing committee, including Samira Akdeniz Ordu, Iman Al-Makhloufi, Saif Abu Kishk, Ko Tinmwang, and Natalia Maria.
Speakers emphasized the continuation of international efforts to challenge the blockade despite repeated Israeli threats.
Saif Abu Kishk, a Palestinian-Spanish activist and member of the Sumud Flotilla , said that Israeli occupation does not respect human rights or international law, adding that activists had decided to proceed with missions to break the blockade after considering developments in Palestine over recent years.
He stated that Sumud Flotilla’s 54 ships will sail from Marmaris toward Gaza, including five vessels affiliated with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, carrying participants from multiple nationalities.
He accused Israeli occupation of imposing a slow genocide against Palestinians in Gaza through deliberate starvation policies, alongside a colonial effort aimed at displacing Palestinians in the West Bank.
The initiative follows a previous incident on April 29, when Israeli forces launched an attack in international waters near the Greek island of Crete, targeting vessels linked to Sumud Flotilla, which included 345 participants from 39 countries.
At the time, Israeli occupation seized 21 boats carrying around 175 activists, while the remaining vessels continued toward Greek territorial waters.
This effort is part of a series of international attempts to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza, which has been in place since 2007 and has led to severe humanitarian deterioration.
Conditions have worsened dramatically since the outbreak of the war on the enclave in October 2023, resulting in widespread destruction of residential infrastructure and the displacement of approximately 1.5 million Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip.
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