Greta Thunberg. (Shutterstock)
Vessels carrying Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and other anti-Israel protesters as part of Gaza flotilla forced to abandon voyage over stormy weather.
By World Israel News Staff
Organizers said that a flotilla of ships carrying anti-Israel activists was forced on Monday to abandon its planned voyage to the war-torn coastal enclave while attempting to run the IDF’s security blockade of the Gaza Strip this week.
On Sunday, roughly 20 vessels of various sizes departed from Barcelona, Spain, bound for the Gaza Strip as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla Mission. The boats and ships that left Spain on Sunday were slated to rendezvous with dozens of additional vessels launched from North Africa later this week, with over 50 vessels expected to converge on Gaza in mid-September as part of what has been billed as the largest Gaza flotilla ever organized.
However, shortly after embarking on the voyage, the flotilla had to return to port.
In a statement released Monday morning, the Global Sumud Flotilla Mission said that stronger than expected winds and a storm brewing along the flotilla’s path to Gaza had forced the vessels to return to Barcelona.
“Due to unsafe weather conditions, we conducted a sea trial and then returned to port to allow the storm to pass,” the mission said, emphasizing that the voyage was merely delayed by the inclement weather.
“This meant delaying our departure to avoid risking complications with the smaller boats. Facing over 30-knot winds and the unpredictable nature of the Mediterranean, we made this decision to prioritize the safety and well-being of all participants and to safeguard the success of our mission.”
“We conducted a sea trial and then returned to port to allow the storm to pass. This meant delaying our departure to avoid risking complications with the smaller boats,” the Global Sumud Flotilla Mission said in another statement Monday.
Greta Thunberg, a 22-year-old climate change activist, participated in the failed voyage, marking her third attempt to reach the Gaza Strip.
A member of the Global Sumud Flotilla Mission’s steering committee, Thunberg also took part in the Freedom Flotilla’s failed “Conscience” mission this May.
In June, Thunberg was briefly detained in Israel after she joined anti-Israel activists onboard the Madleen in an attempt to run the Gaza blockade.
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