A humanitarian flotilla led by climate activist Greta Thunberg has arrived in Tunisia to a jubilant welcome from thousands of supporters, marking the latest front in a global campaign to break Israel’s long-standing naval blockade of Gaza. The “Global Sumud Flotilla,” carrying hundreds of activists and desperately needed aid, is now poised for its final, perilous leg of a journey that has transformed a humanitarian mission into a high-stakes diplomatic confrontation.
The atmosphere at the port of Sidi Bou Said was electric as crowds chanted and waved Palestinian flags to greet the boats. Onboard, Thunberg, speaking to a throng of supporters, delivered a blistering condemnation of Israel’s policies. “Just across the water there’s a genocide going on, a mass starvation by Israel’s murder machine,” she said, using the kind of stark language that has become her trademark.
The flotilla’s journey began in Barcelona, where over 20 vessels and participants from more than 40 countries set sail with a simple, yet defiant, mission: to open a “humanitarian corridor” to a population that a UN-backed body has officially declared to be in a state of famine. It is Thunberg’s second attempt to reach the besieged territory this year, after a previous mission in June was intercepted by the Israeli military, which detained and deported her.
Israeli officials have consistently dismissed such flotillas as political stunts that offer no genuine humanitarian assistance and serve only to legitimize a terrorist organization. Their stance is that all aid must pass through land crossings, where it can be inspected to ensure it does not contain weapons or materials for Hamas. The flotilla’s organizers, however, say that the overland route is too slow and unreliable to meet the catastrophic needs of a starving population.
As the flotilla now re-supplies and prepares for the final stage of its voyage, the question of its fate looms large. Israel has a clear history of intercepting such vessels, and officials have indicated they will not tolerate a breach of their naval blockade. For the hundreds of activists on board, including Thunberg, the journey is not just about delivering aid—it is about challenging the legality and morality of a siege they say is causing unimaginable suffering. The eyes of the world are now on the stretch of water between Tunisia and Gaza, where a new chapter of an old conflict is about to begin.