The Global Sumud Flotilla has announced that it will depart today, May 14, from Marmaris with a large convoy of 54 boats and nearly 500 participants representing 45 countries, in a renewed effort to break the blockade on Gaza, according to a press release issued on Wednesday.

Organizers stated that the mission follows what they described as the “illegal detention,” torture, and sexual abuse of flotilla activists who were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters last month. They say these incidents have intensified international attention on previous maritime attempts to reach Gaza.

In a parallel move, five vessels affiliated with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition—Adalah, Kyriakos X, Lina Al Nabulsi, PERSEVERANCE, and Tenaz Love Aqsa Bangladesh—are also expected to depart from a Greek island and join the broader flotilla.

The coalition emphasized that the ships are carrying only symbolic quantities of food and medical supplies, stressing that the initiative is not structured as a humanitarian aid delivery mission. Instead, organizers described it as “an act of international civilian resistance” aimed at opposing the ongoing blockade on Gaza.

The latest mobilization follows reports of an Israeli strike on civilian vessels off the Greek coast on April 29, and comes amid increasing international activism seeking to challenge maritime and land restrictions imposed on Gaza. Israel has not issued an official response to the flotilla announcement at the time of publication. (ILKHA)