Global Aid Flotilla Nears Gaza, Arrival Expected On Sept 30

ISTANBUL, Sept 28 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- An international aid flotilla is less than 399 nautical miles away from the Gaza Strip and is expected to reach the enclave on Sept 30, organisers said on Sunday, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

“Time moves and the flotilla moves with it - every minute takes the Global Sumud Flotilla nearer to Gaza and the justice it deserves,” the coalition said in a statement on the US social media platform X.

It shared a map showing the vessels’ route to Gaza, noting that there were only 399 nautical miles left to reach the blockaded territory.

According to Wael Naouar, a spokesperson for the flotilla’s Maghreb fleet, the boats are expected to reach Gaza on Sept 30 Sept or Oct 1.

He added that there might be delays depending on the weather conditions.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of about 50 ships, set sail earlier this month to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, to the war-ravaged enclave.

According to a video shared by a Turkish activist onboard, a Greek Navy vessel has returned after accompanying the flotilla in international waters, while the Italian and Spanish navies continue to provide protection for the activists on board.

“The only thing between us and Gaza right now is the sea,” Ross Ykema, an activist from the Netherlands, said in a video statement.

Since March 2, Israel has fully closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking food and aid convoys and deepening famine conditions in the enclave.

Only limited supplies are sporadically allowed in, many of which are looted by armed groups that Gaza authorities accuse Israel of protecting.

The Israeli army has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023.

The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of disease.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU