'I won't lie—I am afraid': largest flotilla, Sumud, set to sail from Tunisia to Gaza this weekend

The largest aid flotilla yet bound for Gaza is preparing to set sail from Tunisia this weekend, after 'drones attacks' and weather delays pushed back its departure for days. 

Organisers say the "Sumud Flotilla," named after the Arabic word for steadfastness, is now expected to depart from the northern port of Bizerte on Saturday, once final logistics are complete. 

"This is the first time so many ships have come together for Gaza [...] If the seas allow, we want to turn the port of Bizerte into a festival to bid farewell to the flotilla," Nabil Chennoufi, a member of the Maghreb Sumud committee, told The New Arab.

In Tunisia, the send-off has turned into a national spectacle. 

On Thursday, 11 September, thousands of Tunisians gathered along the coastal road to Sidi Bou Said to cheer on the first stage of the journey. 

Dozens of small boats carrying volunteers slipped out of the port, as crowds waved Palestinian and Maghreb flags singing pro-Palestine slogans, while others prayed for their safety.

Tunisia's football ultras, famous for their chants in support of Palestine, brought stadium-style fervour to the harbour. 

Supporters of Esperance and Club Africain, usually fierce rivals, stood shoulder to shoulder, lighting flares, setting off fireworks, and belting out songs long familiar in Tunisian stadiums. 

Flotilla organisers had earlier asked fan groups to prepare banners and chants celebrating Palestinian resistance, many of which now hang from the vessels that docked in Bizerte on Thursday.

What is on board the Sumud Flotilla? 

The fleet includes about 36 vessels, carrying between 500 and 700 participants from 44 countries 

Ships from Spain and Italy, which left Barcelona and Genoa last month, arrived with nearly 300 tonnes of cargo. 

The cargo includes wheat, baby formula, prosthetic limbs, medicines, and drinking water. 

An Egyptian vessel is still awaiting clearance from Cairo, according to The New Arab's correspondent in Egypt.

Since March, Israel has closed all crossings into Gaza, blocking food, medicine, and humanitarian aid, plunging the territory into a man-made famine despite relief trucks waiting at its borders.

Occasionally, Israel allows very limited amounts of aid to enter, far below the minimum needed to meet the needs of the starving population. 

Most of the trucks, Gaza's government says, are then looted by gangs reportedly protected by Israel, leaving the famine largely unrelieved.

Tunisians have poured resources into loading the flotilla with aid. Supporters donated food, money, and baby formula.

Organisers used some contributions to buy additional boats. Algerian activists drove in trucks of medical supplies. 

"The Tunisians have competed to donate," said Mohamed Amin Ben Nour, a doctor who previously worked in Gaza and is now coordinating medical aid for the flotilla. 

He added that some funds would later be transferred to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

'I won't lie—I am afraid': security concerns after Israel's threats

The fleet has already faced setbacks believed to be orchestrated by Tel Aviv. Two boats were hit by drones in Tunisian waters this week, flotilla organisers say. 

Tunisia's Interior Ministry confirmed that the vessels were struck by drones, after initially suggesting the damage was caused by a cigarette, but it did not identify who was behind the attacks. Activists blame Israel.

Organisers insist that security concerns did not delay their departure, and say Tunisian authorities have granted full permission for the voyage. 

Israel has scuppered numerous attempts over the 15 years of the blockade, including a 2010 boarding by its special forces in which at least nine Turkish activists were killed.

And this time, its National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to detain participants in "terrorist prisons" for extended periods. 

However, Sumud's participants are convinced that the sheer scale and international breadth of the mission make it harder to stop.

"I don't think they will be able to stop us. We are hundreds of activists. We believe we will reach Gaza this time. Even if stranded at sea, we are carrying enough supplies to survive for a month," Harbaoui told TNA.

Still, fear and distress of what this mission could become are palpable among some participants.

"I won't lie—I am afraid, very afraid. But I am leaving as a human being, fortunate to have visibility and influence, convinced that culture must be mobilised in the service of freedom and justice," said Youssef Swatt's, a Belgian-Algerian rapper, in a statement on Thursday.

"The urgency is absolute. We cannot look away. It is time to organise everywhere so that humanity prevails," added the rapper, who joined several celebrities on board the fleet.