For Cunningham, “the fact that you guys are here, and the flotilla is happening, is an indication of the world’s failure to uphold international law and humanitarian law, and it is a shameful, shameful period in the history of our world. And we should be collectively ashamed.”
Organisers said that dozens of other vessels are expected to leave Tunisian and other Mediterranean ports on Sep 4 to join the aid mission.
Activists will also stage simultaneous demonstrations and other protests in 44 countries “in solidarity with the Palestinian people”, Thunberg, part of the flotilla’s steering committee, wrote on Instagram.
“This will be the largest solidarity mission in history, with more people and more boats than all previous attempts combined,” Brazilian activist Thiago Avila told journalists in Barcelona last week.
“We understand that this is a legal mission under international law,” Portuguese lawmaker Mariana Mortagua, who will join the mission, told journalists in Lisbon last week.
Previous attempts
Israel has already blocked two attempts by activists to deliver aid by ship to Gaza, in June and July.
In June, 12 activists on board the sailboat Madleen, from France, Germany, Brazil, Turkey, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands were intercepted by Israeli forces 185 kilometres west of Gaza.
