Activists Prepare Largest Flotilla Yet To Sail From Spain To Gaza, Urge Pressure On Israel

Activists are preparing to set sail on Sunday from Spain to Gaza aboard dozens of boats carrying aid, urging governments to press Israel to allow their flotilla – the largest to date – to pass through despite the naval blockade.

Hundreds of participants from 44 countries are expected to join the effort, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortágua. The boats will depart from several ports under the banner of the“Global Freedom Flotilla.”

Israel has repeatedly blocked previous attempts to break its 18-year blockade on Gaza, most notably when its commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara in 2010, killing at least 10 Turkish activists.

Saif Abu Khash, a Palestinian organiser based in Spain, told Reuters that the responsibility lies with political leaders to pressure Israel to allow the flotilla through.

“They must act to defend human rights and ensure safe passage for this flotilla,” he said.

In June, Israeli naval forces intercepted a British-flagged yacht carrying Thunberg, other activists and aid supplies, seizing the vessel after boarding it.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced Friday that it has begun preliminary operations and early stages of an assault on Gaza City as part of a wider plan to occupy it, saying its forces are now heavily engaged on the city's outskirts. Local reports said parts of Gaza City came under intense bombardment.

Earlier in the day, the army declared that, as of 10 a.m., what it described as a“local tactical pause” in Gaza City was no longer in effect, calling the area a“dangerous combat zone.”

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