Athens: Six Greek boats carrying dozens of activists have set sail in the Aegean Sea to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international initiative challenging Israel's blockade on Gaza.

According to Anadolu Agency, 26 Greek activists and 20 international supporters are on board, sailing to meet the wider flotilla bound for Gaza, as reported by the International Committee to Break the Israeli Siege of Gaza on US social media company X. The committee stated that two more vessels will soon appear on the international tracking system.

On Thursday, several vessels that set sail from Spain, Tunisia, and Libya reached near southern Sicily, joining the Italian ships that were awaiting their arrival, as noted by the Global Sumud Flotilla. The official flotilla tracker indicated over 40 vessels present in southern Sicily, while the six Greek boats are still en route to join them, raising the total number of ships bound for Gaza to 50.

The International Committee to Break the Israeli Siege of Gaza announced on Tuesday that all ships will set sail together toward the shores of Gaza after gathering near Malta. This convoy is the largest of its kind, aiming to challenge the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, where famine conditions have emerged under Israel's prolonged closure of all crossings.

The Israeli army has killed more than 65,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The continuous bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable, leading to starvation and the spread of diseases.