SYRACUSE, Italy - The Global Sumud Flotilla, the biggest humanitarian fleet that has sought to breach the Israeli blockade of Gaza, set sail from Sicily on Sunday, with one of the organization’s coordinators telling The New Region that they feel “very confident” about succeeding this time.

With activists from nearly 60 countries manning a fleet of over 80 vessels – nearly double the size of the previous effort – organizer and prominent activist Thiago Avila is “sure we will make it.”

He told The New Region that the mission’s scope extends “not only to Gaza and Palestine,” warning that “the violence spreads across and affects the entire world,” pointing to escalating conflicts in multiple regions.

“They’re now attacking Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Venezuela, and Cuba,” Avila said. “They’re threatening Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.”

Speaking to The New Region, Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila discussed the upcoming Global Sumud Flotilla heading toward Gaza that seeks to break an Israeli blockade with a fleet of around 80 boats and distribute humanitarian aid, calling on the world to stand against oppression… pic.twitter.com/5D4bV8U7iA

— The New Region (@thenewregion) April 24, 2026

"We must remember that a genocide is still unfolding in Gaza, and 60 percent of the Strip is now controlled by the Israeli military," said Maria Elena Delia, the Italian representative for the Flotilla, highlighting that nearly 800 people have been killed since the last October ceasefire brokered by United States President Donald Trump.

Despite the agreements stating that waters up to 12 nautical miles offshore should be under Palestinian control, the Israeli navy maintains a constant patrol of the area. Israel's official naval blockade, which is deemed illegal under international law, extends 20 miles out, yet military vessels frequently intercept boats long before they even reach territorial waters.

Last September’s mission, which brought together boats from Sicily, Barcelona, Genoa, and Tunisia, ended in a violent military crackdown that broke international law. The crew chose to press on even after their ships were targeted by suspected drone-based arson attacks off the coasts of Tunisia and Crete. Yet, on the night of October 1, the Israeli navy intercepted and boarded the vessels in international waters, about 72 miles out at sea.

Everyone on board was arrested and taken to the port of Ashdod, where some participants agreed to leave the country voluntarily while others were illegally held in prison for several days before being released.

READ MORE: Exclusive interview with Finnish-Kurdish Global Sumud Flotilla participant Renaz Ebrahimi

The distribution of essential aid remains a major flashpoint. While the previous mission saw thousands contribute food and medical supplies, the cargo assembled by the NGO "Music for Peace" has been languishing in Jordan for six months, stalled by an Israeli veto.

The new mission is now trying a different approach: alongside the sea route, activists will attempt to bring a land convoy into Gaza through the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt.

Organizers stated that the goal is not only to provide immediate relief but also to assert Palestinian sovereignty over their own coastline while sending teams to help rebuild devastated infrastructure like hospitals and schools.

Avila told The New Region that the fleet is staffed with “medical workers and eco-builders” and is carrying a significant volume of humanitarian relief. “We’re bringing a lot of aid this time,” he noted, adding that the cargo includes “enough materials to build a whole primary school in Gaza.”

Beyond the maritime mission, he emphasized that the organization is also “mobilizing on demonstrations, on boycott campaigns, and encampments” to maintain pressure on multiple fronts.

Through coordinated mobilizations across both land and sea, the group aims to expose international complicity in the siege and catalyze a grassroots global movement to act where formal government institutions have stalled.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which seeks to break an Israeli blockade and bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, set sail from Sicily on Sunday, with individuals from almost 60 countries participating in a fleet of over 80 boats pic.twitter.com/FBqCDHegL8

— The New Region (@thenewregion) April 26, 2026