The Global Sumud Flotilla, also known as the Freedom Flotilla, has been forced to return to port due to the storm that hit the Catalan coast. The organization has taken advantage of what it calls a"technical stop" to make some final adjustments to the thirty vessels that make up the flotilla.

After departing at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, surrounded by a crowd that cheered the crew as they passed, the vessels headed for Tunisia, where they were scheduled to arrive on September 4. However, after several hours of sailing through the waves, the organizers decided to return to the port of Barcelona to ensure safety, especially for the smaller vessels.

New departure, this afternoon

All vessels arrived in port late Sunday night, and the plan is to depart again early Monday afternoon.

“Due to the dangerous weather conditions, we conducted a sea trial and then returned to port to wait for the storm to pass. This meant delaying our departure to avoid complications with the smaller vessels,” the organizers stated. “Faced with winds of over 30 knots and the unpredictability of the Mediterranean, we made this decision to prioritize the safety and well-being of all participants and ensure the success of our mission.”

The unforeseen event has forced the twenty or so vessels that will connect off the coasts of Italy and Tunisia to modify their initial plans, delaying their departure by one day.

Since 2008, around fifty flotillas have set sail for Gaza, of which only the first five have managed to reach it. In 2010, the Freedom Flotilla movement was officially founded, this time renamed the Global Sumud Flotilla. The word sumud translates from Arabic as"persistence or constant perseverance," which is why they decided to name this mission after it.