News- Middle East: The Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has set sail from Tunisia in an effort to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza and provide humanitarian assistance to the besieged territory.

The flotilla, consisting of over 40 ships with more than 800 activists from 44 countries, departed the Tunisian port of Bizerte on Saturday.

Volunteers were seen in online footage loading supplies onto the vessels before departure. 

The GSF is carrying food and medical aid, with organizers stressing that the flotilla’s mission is to break the Israeli siege and establish a humanitarian corridor into the blockaded territory.

In a show of solidarity, a boat crewed entirely by women also joined the Gaza-bound GSF, symbolizing a tribute to the strength of Palestinian women living under Israel’s blockade.

Fifteen activists from Europe, Latin America, and Asia boarded the vessel in the Tunisian port of Bizerte on Saturday, preparing to join other ships on the journey. 

Malika, a nurse from France, emphasized the courage and determination symbolized by Palestinian women living under devastation, saying, “We chose to dedicate one boat solely to women as a gesture of solidarity and respect.”

She went on to say that the group, which had never met before this initiative, quickly bonded over a common purpose.

“We come from different countries – France, Chile, Portugal, Spain, and others – but Gaza has united us,” Malika said.

She further noted that “Governments have failed to protect civilians, so we are stepping forward.”

Khaled Boujemaa, a member of the steering committee, noted that foreign vessels left Bizerte on Saturday to rendezvous with North African boats departing from Sidi Bou Said near Tunis. 

The flotilla, which now counts nearly 50 assembled ships in Tunisian ports, including 23 from North Africa, had its departure postponed twice due to bad weather and technical issues, which forced three vessels to withdraw.

However, these hurdles have now been resolved, and the flotilla is ready to set sail for Gaza as planned, Boujemaa said.

The latest development comes after the GSF reported on Wednesday that the British-flagged Alma, a boat in its fleet, had been attacked by a drone as it was docked in Tunisian waters a day earlier.

The attack came just hours after the flotilla’s main vessel - the Portuguese-flagged ship Family - was struck by a drone near Tunisian waters early Tuesday.

Tunisia’s interior ministry has confirmed that the second attack on the GSF was not an accident but a “pre-planned assault,” vowing to reveal the perpetrators who orchestrated the strike, although it is widely suspected that the Tel Aviv regime is behind both attacks.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which derives its name from the Arabic term for “steadfastness,” embarked from Barcelona late last month on a mission to break what has been denounced by human rights bodies as one of the world’s strictest and most inhumane blockades.

The flotilla has been described as the largest maritime mission of its kind in decades.

Its potential success would mark the first time in nearly 15 years that a flotilla has reached Gaza’s shores.

Israeli officials have openly raged against the mission, with far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatening to designate the activists as “terrorists” and confiscate the boats.

Source: Press TV