Gaza-bound aid flotilla says 7 days for arrival to Israel-besieged enclave

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Global Sumud Flotilla said Monday its ships are 715 nautical miles from Gaza as they converge in international waters ahead of an attempt to break Israel’s blockade on the enclave.

In a statement, the coalition said its Greek fleet is expected to join “in the coming days” as part of the humanitarian mission.

“The ships of the Global Sumud Flotilla are now coming together with the Greek fleet joining soon, as we head into the final weeks of our humanitarian mission to reach Gaza and break Israel’s illegal blockade,” it said.

A video released by the coalition showed the vessel Sirius with a date stamp of Sept. 22, noting it was “five days from the high-risk zone” and “seven days from Gaza.”

Organizers said more than 40 vessels are converging in international waters for the mission.

Recently, dozens of ships have been sailing from North African and European ports toward Gaza as part of the humanitarian mission to break the Israeli siege.

The mission is the largest effort of its kind aiming to reach Gaza, where 2.4 million Palestinians live under an Israeli blockade that has lasted 18 years.

Israel has previously intercepted Gaza-bound ships, seizing the vessels and deporting those on board.

UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where more than 65,300 people have been killed since October 2023.