BIZERTE, Tunisia / ISTANBUL

The last Spanish ship taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail on Monday from the Tunisian port city of Bizerte, joining dozens of vessels heading toward Gaza in a bid to break Israel’s blockade.

Local outlet Bizerte FM reported that the ship, the Sultana, departed at midday carrying activists from Algeria, South Africa and several European countries. It added that two or three other Spanish boats were unable to depart due to technical problems.

Earlier in the day, the vessels Family and Alma also left Bizerte port, according to the report.

Separately, the Maghreb branch of the flotilla said a fourth ship, the Tunisian-flagged Hind Rajab, sailed on Monday from Gammarth, near Tunis, with three Tunisian participants and Pakistani activists on board. The vessel was named after a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed along with six family members in an Israeli strike on Gaza in January 2024.

By Sunday evening, at least 16 ships of the aid flotilla had already departed from Tunisian ports, including Gammarth, Sidi Bou Said and Bizerte, organizers said.

In total, the initiative brings together around 50 vessels carrying hundreds of activists from across the world. It marks the first time such a large fleet has set out together toward Gaza, after previous attempts by individual ships were intercepted by Israel.

Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for the past 18 years. Nearly 1.5 million of the enclave’s 2.4 million residents are now homeless after almost two years of relentless bombardment.

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing nearly 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.