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The Global Sumud Flotilla is preparing a new and larger humanitarian mission to Gaza in the spring, citing the failure to fully implement ceasefire terms and the continued shortage of aid entering the territory, the mission’s Türkiye coordinator said.
Huseyin Durmaz told Anadolu Agency that although ceasefire arrangements envisioned the entry of hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks per day, only about 40 to 50 trucks are currently entering Gaza daily.
Durmaz said many of the trucks entering the enclave carry commercial goods rather than humanitarian assistance, adding that Gaza residents lack the purchasing power to buy supplies after widespread destruction.
“We are talking about a city that has been completely destroyed because of genocide,” Durmaz said, stressing that current aid levels are insufficient to meet basic humanitarian needs.
He said the decision to organize a new flotilla was driven by the continued failure to meet those needs and by concerns that the ceasefire is not being implemented as agreed.
“This situation has developed because the ceasefire is not being implemented and the needs of the people of Gaza are not being met,” Durmaz said.
According to him, the upcoming mission is expected to involve broader international participation than previous flotillas, with organizers working to strengthen and renew the team.
Durmaz said the flotilla movement believes international public pressure has played a role in shaping developments related to Gaza, helping to awaken what he described as a “global conscience.”
“What mattered most to us was embedding in people’s minds the idea that a great deal can be done for Gaza,” he said, adding that the movement sought to demonstrate that coordinated global action is possible.
He said organizers anticipate attempts to question the need for a flotilla amid ongoing aid deliveries under the ceasefire, but argued that current conditions require greater determination and larger initiatives.
Israel has previously intercepted Gaza-bound aid ships, seized cargo and detained activists.
In October, Israeli naval forces seized more than 40 boats linked to the Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla and detained over 450 activists, according to organizers.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for nearly 18 years, tightening restrictions in March by closing border crossings and blocking food and medicine deliveries.
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