Marseille: Around 20 boats from France set sail from the southern city of Marseille on Saturday to join the "2026 Spring Mission" of the Global Sumud Flotilla, aiming to break Israel's blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.
According to Anadolu Agency, preparations for the mission have been ongoing, with the boats departing from various Mediterranean ports. After weeks of preparation, the participating boats from France have left Marseille and are now en route to Italy. Their sails are adorned with traditional Palestinian tatreez embroidery motifs and images of Handala, a symbol of Palestinian resistance. Residents of Marseille showed their support by waving Palestinian flags and bidding farewell to the flotilla with applause and slogans expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and Gaza.
Representatives of the civil society organizations behind the initiative held a press conference at L'Estaque Port. Nozha Trabelsi, a member of the Thousand Madleens to Gaza movement, stated that the situation in Gaza continues to worsen, affecting not just the territory itself. She pointed out that the concept of a ceasefire is misleading, recalling the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident where 10 people were killed, and emphasized that conditions for Palestinians have deteriorated since.
Esther Le Cordier, another member of the same movement, explained that each boat represents different themes such as prisoners, children, and medical personnel, who she claims are being targeted in Gaza. She stressed that the flotilla alone cannot bring change and urged citizens' groups, associations, trade unions, and local communities to organize mass actions on land in support of Palestine.
Linda Sehili from the Solidaires union noted their mobilization efforts to end economic cooperation with what she described as Israel's far-right government. Pierre Stambul, a spokesperson for the Union of Jewish French for Peace (UJFP), described Israel as a colonial state and referred to the displacement of Palestinians in 1948 as an undeniable historical reality.
Claude Leostic from the France Palestine Solidarity Association expressed shame over what he considers the complicity of political leaders and called for it to end. He demanded sanctions against Israel and warned of the serious risk of famine in Gaza due to ongoing closures.
The first Global Sumud sea mission began in mid-2025, and in October, Israeli naval forces attacked and seized more than 40 boats that were part of the humanitarian aid flotilla. Tel Aviv detained over 450 activists on board, who later shared their experiences of abuse during captivity. Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years, tightening the siege further in March by closing border crossings and blocking food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave towards famine.