Maghreb Fleet prepares to sail for Gaza despite attacks, delays
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The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising 36 ships and hundreds of activists, has regrouped in Tunisia's Bizerte port and is preparing to sail for Gaza.
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Ships that are part of the Global Sumud Flotilla heading to Gaza are anchored off the coast of Sidi Bou Saïd in Tunis, Tunisia, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 (AP Photo/Anis Mili)
The Maghreb Fleet to Support Gaza declared its readiness to set sail toward the besieged Strip, pressing ahead with efforts to challenge "Israel's" blockade.
On Friday, vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla reached the port of Bizerte in northern Tunisia after docking earlier in Sidi Bou Said. Organizers confirmed that the convoy, made up of around 36 ships carrying nearly 700 activists from more than 40 countries, will depart for Gaza once weather conditions allow. Participants include human rights defenders and legal observers documenting violations of international law.
The flotilla has already faced obstacles. Two ships, the Portuguese-flagged Family and the British-flagged Alma, were struck earlier this week by what activists described as drone attacks in Tunisian waters. Footage circulated online showed a flaming object hitting one of the vessels. The Tunisian Interior Ministry, however, denied any drone strike and announced an official investigation. Organizers rejected the incidents as "distractions," vowing that the mission would not be deterred.
A second drone attack targeted a vessel of the Global Sumud Flotilla in Sidi Bou Said. This time, an incendiary projectile impacted Alma, the largest vessel of the convoy.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 9, 2025
Organizers said that crewmembers were able to put the fire out.
The vessels are on a humanitarian… pic.twitter.com/ybHxlKJCrx
The coalition behind the voyage, linked to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, has drawn participants from civil society across Europe, the Maghreb, and beyond. Among those lending support is climate activist Greta Thunberg, who earlier this year was detained by Israeli forces and later deported after boarding the Madleen, a Gaza-bound ship intercepted in international waters in June. That incident, in which 12 activists and a journalist were stopped from delivering humanitarian supplies, showed both the risks of such missions and the determination of participants to keep challenging Israel’s blockade.
Among the participating vessels is an observation ship named after the martyred journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, while another, preparing to depart from Bizerte, will carry the name of Fatima Hassouna, also killed in Gaza. These symbolic names highlight the mission's intent to both honor Palestinian martyrs and document Israel's violations.
Read more: Israeli genocide in Gaza kills 59 as reverse displacement rises
This is the largest maritime effort of its kind: the first ships left Barcelona, Spain, in late August, followed by another convoy from Genoa, Italy, earlier this month. Never before have so many vessels sailed together toward Gaza. With the fleet now regrouped in Tunisia, organizers insist the mission reflects the growing determination of international civil society to defy "Israel's" naval blockade and stand with Palestinians facing genocide and siege.
Analysts warn that "Israel" may seek to intercept, block, or pressure the flotilla to turn back, but doing so risks international backlash. Organizers stress that whatever the outcome at sea, the flotilla has already succeeded in amplifying global outrage against "Israel's" blockade and in mobilizing unprecedented solidarity across borders.
