Gaza aid flotilla sets sail from Barcelona

A flotilla of some 40 boats set sail for Gaza from Barcelona on Wednesday in a fresh bid to break an Israeli blockade and deliver aid to the devastated territory, organisers said.

The Global Sumud Flotilla had initially been set to depart from the Mediterranean port on Sunday but the mission was postponed due to adverse weather conditions.

The ships, mostly sailboats, set sail just after 11:30 am (0930 GMT), organisers said in a statement.

Some 20 boats which will join the maritime convoy left the French port of Marseille on April 4 and more ships are set to depart from Syracuse in Sicily on April 24.

A week-long stopover is planned in southern Italy for "non-violence training".

Sumud, which means "resilience" in Arabic, is due to rally hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists from dozens of countries.

In late 2025, an initial flotilla of about 50 boats, composed of political figures and activists such as Sweden's Greta Thunberg, was boarded by the Israeli navy -- illegally according to the organisers and Amnesty International.

The crew members were arrested and expelled by Israel.

The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement accuse each other of violating a ceasefire that came into effect on October 10, 2025, after two years of war.