The Global Sumud Flotilla is fast approaching the war-torn Gaza Strip in a bid to break Israel's siege and deliver humanitarian aid, with activists on board saying they are now around 150 nautical miles from the enclave’s coast as of early Tuesday.
Organisers believe the flotilla could reach Gaza within three days, although the journey depends on speed, weather, and risks that include possible engine failure and the potential for Israeli attacks.
Activists have dubbed the 150-nautical-mile mark the "Orange Line", indicating the distance from Gaza where previous aid vessels, including the Madleen and Handala ships, were intercepted by Israel earlier this year.
"As we approach 150 nautical miles distance from Gaza, we enter Israel’s kidnapping zone. Keep all eyes on us and on Gaza in the coming 48 hours. It’s about damn time to break the siege," Roos Ykema, an activist aboard one of the ships, said on Instagram.
Rights groups are already urging protests outside foreign ministries in case of Israeli interception or arrests. Some flotilla vessels have previously been attacked, including two hit by suspected Israeli drones while docked in Tunisia earlier this month.
The flotilla's online tracker currently shows the ships sailing near Egyptian waters and moving closer to the Middle East. Despite anxieties, activist Kieran Andrieu said morale on board "is higher than it’s been in a long time".
Turkish Navy offers support
On Monday, Turkey confirmed that naval forces assisted a Turkish Red Crescent operation after one of the flotilla's vessels began leaking. Footage showed Turkish frigates approaching the ships.
Ankara said its vessels would contribute to humanitarian aid missions "in coordination with relevant institutions” and stressed its commitment to "the protection of humanitarian values and the safety of innocent civilians".
"Turkey is closely monitoring the safe conduct of humanitarian aid operations currently being carried out by civilian vessels operating in the Eastern Mediterranean," the defence ministry said in an official statement on X.
"As always, Turkey will continue to fulfil its responsibilities everywhere and under all circumstances for the protection of humanitarian values and the safety of innocent civilians."
It follows reports that Turkish drones had been encircling the flotilla for the past three days, joining Italy, Spain, and Greece in monitoring the international flotilla coalition.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is the latest maritime-led initiative attempting to break Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip, where it is seeking to deliver crucial humanitarian aid to the enclave, where over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, amid vicious Israeli bombing and starvation campaigns.
The flotilla set sail in late August from various parts of the Mediterranean, including Barcelona. Other convoys joined the flotilla from port towns in Italy, Greece, and Tunisia
Aboard the numerous vessels are activists, journalists and artists from at least 44 countries. Among them is Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist who has already attempted to sail to Gaza on the Madleen flotilla, but was detained and deported by Israeli authorities after her vessel was intercepted.
Arrests in Egypt over Sumud Flotilla
On Tuesday, tensions were running high at the Egyptian Sumud Flotilla's headquarters in Cairo’s Dokki district, after police arrested three members, including two individuals from the fleet’s preparatory committee.
Its spokesperson, Hossam Mahmoud, said the whereabouts of the arrested individuals remain unknown and that consultations with rights groups over their arrest were ongoing.
Over the past few days, the headquarters have witnessed an influx of volunteers and vehicles as well as the packaging of aid intended for convoys from the Sumud Flotilla. The committee urged boat owners, individuals, and companies to donate or rent boats in support of the initiative, according to The New Arab’s Arabic-language site, Al-Aaraby Al-Jadeed.
This comes after Egyptian authorities have reportedly banned activists or vessels from setting sail to Gaza, in the hopes of joining the Sumud Flotilla in attempting to break Israel’s siege.