The international aid flotilla, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla, is less than 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers) from the besieged Gaza Strip, organizers confirmed on Wednesday.
“We are only a few hours away from Gaza to break the Israeli blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to our people in the Strip,” said Mohammed Qutaish, a Palestinian Dutch activist aboard the international aid flotilla, in a video statement.
Organizers highlighted that the international aid flotilla is now in the high-risk zone near Gaza’s coast, surpassing the point where the Madleen aid ship was previously intercepted by Israeli naval forces. They emphasized that all participants remain safe.
“After a night of intimidation tactics by the Israeli military, we can confirm that our flotilla participants stayed calm and followed all safety procedures,” they said. “We sail on undeterred by Israeli threats and tactics of intimidation.”
The organizers called on global supporters to pressure their governments to ensure protection for the activists aboard the international aid flotilla and encouraged the public to monitor vessel movements through trackers and live streams.
The international aid flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August and is expected to arrive at Gaza’s coast on Thursday morning if conditions remain normal.
This journey marks the first time in years that dozens of ships have sailed together toward Gaza, a territory home to about 2.4 million Palestinians and under Israeli blockade for nearly 18 years.
Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 66,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Gaza has been devastated by relentless bombardment, famine, and the spread of disease. Israel further tightened the blockade on March 2 by closing all border crossings and preventing food, medicine, and aid from entering, despite thousands of trucks piling up at the borders.
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