Barcelona [Spain], September 2 : The Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip was forced to turn back on Sunday night due to adverse weather conditions, Al Jazeera reported.
The Global Sumud Flotilla informed about this in an X post, which said, "Global Sumud Flotilla mission departure delayed to prioritise safety amid strong Mediterranean winds".
The convoy, made up of small civilian boats carrying volunteers and relief supplies, had set out from Barcelona but faced strong winds of more than 30 knots (55 km per hour) in the Mediterranean Sea.
Organisers said the conditions made it unsafe for smaller vessels to continue in the sea, according to Al Jazeera.
According to the flotilla's steering committee, the ships returned to Barcelona's La Vela port around 10 pm local time. The organisers confirmed that a sea trial had been conducted before deciding to wait for the storm to pass. A second attempt to sail is expected on Monday, Al Jazeera noted.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is described as the largest maritime mission so far for Gaza. More than 50 boats and delegations from 44 countries are expected to participate, with additional vessels arriving from Tunisia and Sicily in the coming days.
The initiative is being coordinated by four coalitions that have previously taken part in land and sea efforts to reach Gaza, the Global Movement to Gaza, Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Maghreb Sumud Flotilla and Sumud Nusantara.
High-profile figures are part of the flotilla, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, Irish actor Liam Cunningham and Spanish actor Eduard Fernandez. Participants come from across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. Organisers stressed that they are unaffiliated with any government or political party, as per Al Jazeera.
This is the third flotilla in recent months attempting to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. Previous efforts were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters.
The mission comes amid an escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. A UN-backed report declared famine in parts of the enclave last month, though Israel rejected the findings.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have ordered mass evacuations in Gaza City, which continues to face heavy bombardment after the government approved plans to seize control of the area, Al Jazeera reported.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, over 63,500 people have been killed and more than 160,000 injured since the war began in October 2023, Al Jazeera reported.
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