Gulf ship joins international flotilla to break Gaza siege

A Gulf ship carrying 11 participants from four Arab states set sail on Friday as part of an international flotilla seeking to break Israel's blockade of Gaza and protest the genocide facing Palestinians in the enclave.

The vessel, named Sumud (Arabic for "steadfastness"), departed after weeks of logistical hurdles and preparation, Khalil Bu Hazaa, the ship’s media spokesperson, told The New Arab's Arabic edition.

"The Gulf ship has finally set sail as part of the global Steadfastness flotilla after a long wait and many challenges," Bu Hazaa said. "We will move forward together to break the siege and raise the will of freedom above all restrictions."

On board are men and women from Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, including doctors, engineers, activists, writers and human rights advocates. 

The ship is carrying medical supplies, food and other aid, which organisers say is built on financial donations and volunteer participation.

Earlier, the Gulf campaign announced it had reached its fundraising target of €100,000 to equip the vessel.

"This achievement would not have been possible without wide public support and donations from Gulf citizens," Bu Hazaa said. "It was not only about money but also a referendum on people's conscience, and a clear message to the world that the peoples of the Gulf stand wholeheartedly with their besieged brothers in Gaza."

The Gulf delegation carries a message to Palestine and the world, the ship's media office said in a statement.

"The siege is not destiny, and peoples can rewrite the scene with their free will," the statement said. "Today, the Gulf people's will has turned into a maritime act that crosses borders, joining free voices around the world in an exceptional moment of humanitarian solidarity."

Before departure, participants released a video message highlighting the suffering of Palestinians under Israel’s offensive in Gaza, citing bombed schools and hospitals, children killed by air strikes, and starvation.

They called for unity and urgent action to stop what they described as Israel’s war of extermination.

The Gulf vessel is part of the wider Global Steadfastness Flotilla, a coalition of civil society organisations, grassroots movements and individuals from more than 44 countries. 

The broader flotilla includes notable international names, including Greta Thunberg, Thiago Ávila, Susan Sarandon, Adèle Haenel, Liam Cunningham, Gustaf Skarsgård and Mark Ruffalo, among other prominent rights activists, artists and political figures. 

The flotilla includes dozens of ships loaded with humanitarian supplies, which will gather in the Mediterranean before attempting to reach Gaza in defiance of Israel's 18-year blockade.