(MENAFN) The International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza declared on Sunday that a fresh convoy of ships will depart from southern Italy next Wednesday, aiming to confront the ongoing blockade of the Palestinian enclave. This new initiative will bolster the existing efforts led by the Global Sumud Flotilla.

In an official release, the committee stated: “The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), in partnership with the Thousand Madleen to Gaza (TMTG), has announced the launch of the next wave of blockade-breaking ships.”

The statement detailed that the upcoming mission will consist of multiple vessels setting sail from southern Italy on Wednesday.

Highlighting the collaboration, the committee said the flotilla’s departure “comes through cooperation between two global grassroots initiatives, at the same time that 50 ships are already sailing as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla.”

Additionally, the Freedom Flotilla is preparing to introduce a vessel with “a new and innovative idea” in early October, though further specifics were not disclosed.

The committee underscored the urgency of the mission, declaring: “as suffering in Gaza deepens and the Israeli occupation persists in committing genocide in every form, it becomes a duty upon every free person in the world to take to the sea, break the siege, and provide a lifeline for the Gaza Strip.”

In recent days, dozens of ships affiliated with the Global Sumud Flotilla have been heading toward Gaza. On September 16, the committee revealed that these vessels would converge near Malta before sailing together across the Mediterranean Sea to Gaza’s coast, without confirming an exact departure date.

These ships carry vital humanitarian aid, especially medical supplies, destined for the blockaded territory.

This marks the largest collective maritime effort toward Gaza, a territory of approximately 2.4 million Palestinians enduring an Israeli blockade for 18 years—intensified in recent months.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have been described as genocidal, with over 65,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, reported killed so far.

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