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Convoy of 10 vessels carrying 60 people, including elected officials from nine countries, departed from Sicily on Saturday with the stated goal of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenging Israel's naval blockade of the Palestinian territory.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madleens to Gaza organized the mission, which they said aims to "break the illegal Israeli blockade" of Gaza. The vessels are loaded with medical supplies, dry food and school equipment — items organizers identified as critical needs based on communications with Palestinians in Gaza.
The flotilla plans to rendezvous with the Global Sumud Flotilla, another aid convoy currently en route to Gaza.
Among those aboard are members of the European Parliament and elected officials from Belgium, France, Ireland, Spain and the United States, according to the organizing groups.
The departure comes amid heightened tensions over Gaza aid deliveries. Earlier this week, the United Nations called for an investigation into alleged drone attacks that targeted the Global Sumud Flotilla off the Greek coast. Activists have attributed those attacks to Israel, though Israeli officials have not confirmed involvement.
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Israel has maintained a naval blockade of Gaza since 2007, citing security concerns over the territory controlled by Hamas, which the U.S. and European Union classify as a terrorist organization. The blockade restricts the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza, though Israel allows certain humanitarian supplies through designated crossings after security inspections.
Previous flotilla attempts to reach Gaza have resulted in confrontations with Israeli naval forces, most notably the 2010 incident involving the Mavi Marmara that left nine Turkish activists dead.
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