According to the Global Sumud Flotilla, the boats have “illegally surrounded the flotilla in international waters and threatened kidnapping and violence.” The organizers also state that they have lost contact with eleven boats.
In total, the convoy consists of more than 50 boats that have sailed from Marseille and Barcelona, among others.
The aim, according to the organizers, is to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.
This is not the first time a convoy of ships carrying activists has sailed towards the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. In 2025, a convoy of around 50 ships was boarded. The crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested and later deported by Israel.
