According to organizers, dozens of ships carrying humanitarian aid, food, and medicine, with crews of international activists from 44 countries, will depart from Barcelona on August 31 and from Tunisia and Sicily on September 4. Out of 28,000 applicants, only several hundred activists have been selected to join the mission.
Prominent figures supporting or joining the convoy include Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, American actress Susan Sarandon, Portuguese MP Mariana Murtagh, Irish politician Paul Murphy, and Nelson Mandela’s grandson Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, who compared Gaza’s plight to apartheid-era South Africa. Special vessels include an all-female crew and a ship manned by US military veterans.
Organizers stress that the convoy represents a diverse coalition of doctors, artists, lawyers, aid workers, and activists of different religions and nationalities, reflecting a global demand for justice and dignity for Palestinians.
Delegations from 44 countries across five continents—including Algeria, Indonesia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the United States, and the United Kingdom—have confirmed participation, underscoring unprecedented international solidarity with Gaza.
The initiative, while humanitarian in nature, is also described as a political act of civil disobedience against Israel’s blockade, in place since 2007. Previous attempts to break the siege include the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, when Israeli forces killed nine Turkish activists, triggering worldwide condemnation.
The Soumoud Caravan, named after the Arabic word for steadfastness, is expected to reach Gaza in 7 to 8 days if not intercepted by Israel. Organizers emphasize that beyond delivering aid, the convoy stands as a historic symbol of global unity with the Palestinian people.
