Govind Tekale
The “Global Sumud Flotilla” – a humanitarian convoy carrying critical supplies for Gaza – has reached approximately 90 nautical miles from Minorca while reporting extensive surveillance operations. “We have detected the first drones… every boat right now in the flotilla has a drone,” reported flotilla member Quentin Quarantino from the vessels currently at sea. Meanwhile, five smaller ships were forced to return to Barcelona harbor on September 1, 2025, due to extreme weather conditions.
“It’s a humanitarian mission to break the siege, to create a humanitarian corridor to Gaza,” stated Quarantino, questioning the surveillance operation: “Who’s paying for this? What money that should be going to hospitals for their citizens are paying for this type of operation?”
Yasmin Acar and other organizers on the ships currently sailing confirmed they’re approximately 90 nautical miles from Minorca during their second night at sea. This comes after an official release from the flotilla’s steering committee stated, “We are relieved to confirm that everyone is safe and accounted for, and the mission continues” despite the weather-related return of five vessels.
Representatives from 44 nations remain involved in the mission, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, with actor Liam Cunningham among the prominent participants. The convoy includes hundreds of participants from 44 countries.
“When small civilian vessels must do the work that governments have failed to do, sailing to break the siege and end the genocide, challenges like these are common,” stated the committee, adding, “If even one of the complicit governments sent their far more capable ships to Gaza, these obstacles would not fall on ordinary people.”
The convoy’s holds contain essential humanitarian cargo – nutritional supplies, potable water, medical provisions, and infant formula. Italian-flagged vessels carry aid supplies, while additional ships have prepared food and medical shipments.
Flotilla members insist their mission is legally protected. “We are doing the right thing that the whole world urges us to do, and the Palestinian people invite us to do it – to break the siege and to do what everyone knows to avoid children being starved to death,” said Quarantino. “That’s why we are here and that’s why they hate us so much.”
This maritime aid attempt comes as UN-backed IPC data confirms famine conditions in portions of Gaza. According to the Gaza Health Ministry as of late August 2025, over 63,000 fatalities and 159,000 injuries have occurred since October 2023.
Over 100 current and former elected officials from around the world have signed a joint statement in support of the flotilla. The document calls for “an immediate humanitarian corridor” and “protection of Civil Society Action, the Global Sumud Flotilla,” emphasizing that “the Global Sumud Flotilla initiative is a legal initiative and therefore can not be attacked or stopped.”
Signatories include members of parliament, senators, mayors, and councilors from countries including Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Ireland, and Sweden. Twelve officials are currently aboard the flotilla, including former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau and Federal Deputy Luizianne Lins of Brazil’s Workers’ Party.
The statement specifically calls for an end to “the use of starvation as a means of warfare, which is a breach of article 54 of the extra-protocols of the Geneva Convention.”
Social media updates from the flotilla initially reported, “the first drones started approaching us right above our vessels,” with organizers noting, “We are safe and believe they are surveillance drones.” The latest report from aboard confirms that surveillance has intensified, with crew members stating that every vessel now has a drone monitoring it.
Current expedition organizers reference the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and Geneva Conventions as legal frameworks supporting their passage rights. They claim the mission is “doing everything legal, according to international law” despite the surveillance operations.
Despite the challenges of weather and surveillance, flotilla organizers remain resolute. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to reach Gaza, to join with ships departing from Tunis, Greece, and Italy, and to stand united in breaking Israel’s illegal siege with a humanitarian and nonviolent mission,” their statement concluded.
While five smaller vessels returned to Barcelona due to safety concerns, the main convoy continues its journey. The fleet that departed initially included approximately 30 vessels, with the remainder continuing toward their humanitarian mission. Previous flotilla attempts encountered naval interdiction while humanitarian indicators in Gaza continue to deteriorate.
