BARCELONA: A Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian activists including environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg departed Barcelona again on Monday, several hours after winds forced it to return to the Spanish port, according to AFP journalists at the scene.
Around 20 vessels left the Spanish city on Sunday aiming to “open a humanitarian corridor and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people” amid the Israel-Hamas war, said the Global Sumud Flotilla — sumud being the Arabic term for “resilience.”
But “due to unsafe weather conditions,” the flotilla returned to port “to allow the storm to pass,” the organization said in an earlier statement, without specifying when exactly the boats returned to Barcelona.
“We made this decision to prioritize the safety and well-being of all participants and to safeguard the success of our mission,” it added, citing gusts that exceeded 55 kilometers (34 miles) per hour.
Organizers said they were especially concerned about the risk the weather posed to the smaller boats.
Spain’s national weather agency AEMET had issued warnings of rainfall and strong storms for the northeastern region of Catalonia which includes Barcelona.
The activists from dozens of countries included Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham and Spain’s Eduard Fernandez, as well as European lawmakers and public figures, including former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.
The flotilla is expected to arrive in Gaza in mid-September and comes after Israel blocked two activist attempts to deliver aid to the devastated Palestinian territory by ship in June and July.
The United Nations has declared a famine in Gaza, warning that 500,000 people face “catastrophic” conditions.
The war was triggered by an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the death of 1,219 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.
Palestinian militants also seized 251 hostages, with 47 still held in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli army says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 63,459 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry which the UN considers reliable.
Gaza aid flotilla departs Barcelona again: AFP journalists
https://arab.news/pk9sc
Gaza aid flotilla departs Barcelona again: AFP journalists
- Around 20 vessels left the Spanish city on Sunday aiming to “open a humanitarian corridor and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people”
- But “due to unsafe weather conditions,” the flotilla returned to port “to allow the storm to pass,” the organization said
Egypt coordinates with Greece to return victims of migrant boat, warns against irregular routes
- Egypt said 14 nationals were among the 34 migrants who died when a boat sank en route to Greece on 7 December
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has instructed the Egyptian embassy in Athens to step up coordination with Greek authorities, Ahram Online reported on Tuesday.
The ministry said 14 Egyptians were among the 34 migrants who died when a boat sank en route to Greece on 7 December.
The move aims to support survivors and expedite the repatriation of the victims’ bodies once legal procedures are completed.
The ministry added that the embassy has been in contact with the families of those who died to arrange the transfer of the remains back home.
Offering its condolences to the victims’ families, the ministry renewed its warning to citizens about the risks of irregular migration, urging Egyptians to safeguard their lives by using legal and regulated travel channels.
Egypt has intensified its efforts to curb irregular migration since launching a national strategy in 2016, with officials stressing that the country will not be used as a transit route to Europe.
Authorities say no migrant boats have departed from Egyptian shores since the strategy was introduced, despite Egypt hosting nearly 10 million foreign nationals, including refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants from 133 countries.
The approach has continued to evolve over the years, most recently with the adoption of the 2024–2026 national action plan by the National Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons.
Earlier initiatives have also supported these efforts, including the 2019 “Lifeboats” programme, which allocated EGP 250 million to create job opportunities in villages considered most vulnerable to irregular migration.
Egypt’s measures have drawn international support, with the European Union pledging €200 million in grants in March 2024 to bolster border management, search-and-rescue capabilities, and efforts to combat migrant smuggling.
