SYROS (Greece) (Pakistan Post Canada) – Two Greek-flagged ships departed from the island of Syros on Sunday evening to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international humanitarian mission seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver aid to famine-stricken Palestinians.
Hundreds of people gathered at the port of Ermopoulis, chanting “Free Palestine” as the vessels Oxygen and Ilektra set sail. The boats carried humanitarian goods along with five and eight crew members respectively.
“This is the way to show Israel that it shouldn’t have the right to impose starvation,” said 39-year-old crew member Kostas Fourikos. Another participant, Angeliki Savvantoglou, stressed that the mission aimed to pressure governments worldwide “to stop collaborating with Israel and stop this genocide.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which takes its name from the Arabic word for “resilience,” describes itself as an independent, non-governmental initiative. It has drawn support from international activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
The mission has already faced serious challenges, including suspected drone attacks while docked off Tunisia. Still, crew members say the risks pale in comparison to the suffering in Gaza. “What we are facing with bureaucracy or drone attacks is nothing compared to just one minute of being alive in Gaza,” Savvantoglou noted.
The United Nations declared famine in and around Gaza City in August, home to roughly one million people. Israel, however, denies famine exists in the besieged coastal territory.
The Gaza war, which began after Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,219 people, has since claimed the lives of at least 64,871 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The UN has deemed these figures credible.
