Global Sumud Flotilla to launch 'largest relief operation in history' for Gaza

The Global Sumud Flotilla announced yesterday, 5 February, the launch of what it described as "the largest humanitarian operation in history" to break Israel's blockade of Gaza by land and sea in March, involving thousands of activists from more than 100 countries.

The announcement comes as Israel continues to disregard the humanitarian protocols of the ceasefire agreement in effect since 10 October 2025, particularly regarding the entry of fuel, humanitarian aid, and debris removal equipment.

In a statement published on X, the group said, "We announce the launch of the largest coordinated humanitarian operation in history for Palestine," noting that the initiative will officially launch on 29 March 2026, with a naval fleet and a land-based humanitarian convoy operating simultaneously.

"Thousands of volunteers from more than 100 countries in a peaceful and coordinated response to the genocide, siege, starvation, and systematic destruction of civilian life perpetrated by Israel in Gaza," the group noted, including more than 1,000 doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, along with teachers, engineers, reconstruction teams, and investigators of war crimes and environmental destruction.

The Sumud Flotilla's statement also stressed that this operation is not limited to sailing toward Gaza but represents a call for a global mobilisation to break the blockade and end the suffering of Palestinians in the Strip.

The international relief operation comes despite the ceasefire entering its second phase in January last month, while Israel continues to violate the agreement daily, causing Palestinian civilian deaths and injuries.

The Israeli army seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza in May 2025 and imposed a tight blockade, allowing only minimal fuel and aid into the Strip, worsening the humanitarian crisis. Although the crossing allegedly reopened last Monday, 2 February, strict Israeli restrictions remain, and Palestinians returning from Egypt reported mistreatment and harassment.

Israel, as the occupying power, previously hijacked ships bound for Gaza, seizing them and detaining international activists before deporting them.

On 1 October 2025, the Israeli army attacked 42 ships of the Sumud Flotilla in international waters, detaining hundreds of activists.