Malaysian civil society organizations, led by the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (MAPIM), announced plans on Sunday to launch the largest maritime fleet in history, consisting of 1,000 ships, to challenge Israel’s blockade on Gaza.

The initiative, involving a planned fleet of 1,000 ships from across the globe, seeks to directly challenge the inhumane and illegal Israeli blockade on Gaza, deliver life-saving aid to the besieged population, and reignite global attention on the suffering inflicted by Israel’s continued occupation and siege.

At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, MAPIM President Azmi Abdul Hamid underscored the urgency and moral clarity of the mission. “This is a global uprising of conscience,” he stated, calling the flotilla a united front against Israeli war crimes, occupation, and collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

The flotilla is being organized in the wake of Israel’s recent hijacking of the humanitarian vessel Madeleine, which drew widespread international outrage and intensified demands for accountability. “Madeleine exposed the scale of the crime, and it sparked a revival of the Freedom Flotilla movement—this time with global strength behind it,” Abdul Hamid said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

Freedom Flotilla 2 aims not only to deliver critical humanitarian supplies but also to send a powerful political message: that the world will no longer stand by in silence as Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are subjected to siege, starvation, and bombardment.

The flotilla’s core objectives include lifting the blockade, ensuring unrestricted humanitarian access, securing international protection for Palestinians, and holding Israeli leaders accountable for alleged crimes against humanity.

Organizers have established a coordination secretariat and launched a global fundraising campaign to support the mission. Ships from nations worldwide will converge near Palestinian waters before proceeding together toward Gaza, forming an unprecedented maritime convoy against apartheid and occupation.

Civil society leaders in Malaysia praised the recent “Caravan of Steadfastness” from Tunisia to Gaza as a symbol of growing global resistance to Israel’s siege. Referencing the 2010 Mavi Marmara tragedy, MAPIM emphasized that this new flotilla will be broader, more organized, and united across continents.

The group is calling for urgent donations of ships, safety equipment, and logistics, while urging international civil society to hold solidarity marches and demand safe passage for the flotilla. They believe the scale and scope of this effort will generate massive political pressure on Israel and its allies to end the blockade and respond to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. (ILKHA)