Activists Announce Gaza Aid Flotilla for Late March

Organizers of an international activist group announced plans Thursday for a large-scale flotilla to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, aiming to deliver humanitarian aid and draw global attention to the territory's crisis.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, speaking at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa, detailed a mission set for late March, involving more than 100 boats departing from ports in Spain, Tunisia, and Italy. Up to 1,000 participants, including medical professionals, engineers, and war crimes investigators, are expected to join the effort. A parallel land convoy will carry aid and additional supporters from North Africa through Egypt toward the Rafah border crossing, with organizers anticipating thousands more participants from countries including Tunisia, Lebanon, and Jordan.

The initiative follows a similar voyage last October, when Israeli forces intercepted about 40 boats carrying around 500 activists in international waters. Authorities detained more than 450 participants, including Mandla Mandela, grandson of the late South African leader Nelson Mandela; Swedish activist Greta Thunberg; and European Parliament member Rima Hassan....