Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has once again failed in her attempt to “break the illegal blockade of Gaza” after a storm forced her flotilla to abandon its mission. The announcement came from the Global Sumud Flotilla project, according to The WP Times. Organizers stated that the mission encountered strong winds, and the fleet decided to postpone its voyage in order to avoid endangering participants.

“We made this decision to protect the safety of those on board and to ensure the future success of our mission,” the statement said.

The activists had set sail on August 31, departing from Barcelona with the declared aim of “opening a humanitarian corridor and putting an end to the genocide of the Palestinian people.” According to organizers, the flotilla consisted of hundreds of people from 44 countries, including public figures and European lawmakers. Among them was the former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau.

Previous Attempts Blocked by Israel

Israel had already intercepted two previous attempts by pro-Palestinian activists to deliver humanitarian aid by sea to Gaza.

  • In June, Israeli forces intercepted the sailing ship Madeleine 185 kilometers west of Gaza, carrying 12 activists, including Greta Thunberg herself. The passengers were detained and later deported.
  • In July, another group of 21 activists from 10 countries was stopped while attempting to reach Gaza on the vessel Handala.

Conditions in Gaza

Meanwhile, Israel faces mounting accusations of orchestrating famine in the Gaza Strip, where the army continues operations against Hamas. According to Associated Press, at least 20% of households in Gaza are experiencing acute food shortages or outright hunger.

The crisis has hit children particularly hard: roughly 30% of children between 6 months and 5 years old suffer from acute malnutrition or wasting, meaning they are severely underweight for their height. Aid groups estimate that at least two adults or four children under the age of five die every day from hunger, malnutrition, or related diseases.

Israel insists that it has not imposed limits on the number of humanitarian aid trucks allowed into Gaza. However, UN agencies and humanitarian organizations argue that the deliveries are insufficient to halt the worsening famine.

Even within Israel, criticism has grown sharper. Two of the country’s leading human rights organizations – B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel – for the first time acknowledged that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians.

Political and Military Developments

In mid-August, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv, demanding an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

At the same time, the Israeli military announced it had approved an expanded offensive in Gaza, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots B.” The operation carries the same name as a previous campaign in which Israeli forces captured more than 75% of Gaza’s territory, forcing Hamas into a hostage agreement. Military officials also stated that Israel is preparing humanitarian infrastructure in southern Gaza to accommodate around one million civilians expected to be relocated from Gaza City.

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