Published on 4/25/2026
The ships of the “Global Resilience Fleet” arrived at the port of Syracuse on the Italian island of Sicily, as part of the “Spring 2026 mission”, which aims to break the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
The ships set off on April 12 from the Spanish city of Barcelona, as part of a new initiative in which representatives of civil society organizations, activists and volunteers from various countries of the world participate, with the aim of delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza.
This is the fleet’s second initiative, after a previous attempt in September 2025 that ended, according to organizers, with the ships being attacked by Israel in October while sailing in international waters, and the detention of hundreds of activists before their deportation began.
Saif, a member of the Board of Directors of the World Fleet, described the first stage of the journey as “successful,” and said: “On the way, we forced one of the largest cargo ships in the world, which was transporting materials to Israel, to change its course.”
He added: “Our ultimate goal is to break the siege and reach Gaza. I do not know what the outcome of this mission will be, but we will continue until we achieve that. We will never stop.”
We set sail to break collusion
For his part, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, who is participating for the third time, said that the participants seek to “break the illegal siege on Gaza and open a popular humanitarian corridor.”
He added: “This time we will reach Gaza,” considering that the mission will succeed because they have a much larger number of boats, broader preparations, more trained people, and global solidarity.
Italian activist Antonio La Piccirella said: “The greatest danger is not doing anything,” adding: “We are determined because we cannot leave the task of responding to state institutions. The institutions have shown that they are insufficient, so we cannot wait for them to act. They also have a degree of responsibility and complicity in what is happening. That is why we are forced to act and do something, because the greatest danger is not doing anything.”
In turn, the spokeswoman for the fleet in Italy, Maria Elena D’Elia, said that sailing again comes because “the situation in Gaza has not fundamentally changed,” noting the continued fall of martyrs despite the announcement of a ceasefire in October 2025.
She added that the fleet aims to “reject what it described as genocide and demand the opening of a permanent humanitarian corridor,” noting that a number of ships from Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey may participate, bringing the total number to about 100 ships.
She pointed out, “The number is not the most important. Even if we only have three ships, the message remains the basis. If governments continue to ignore violations of international law and human rights, the people cannot do that.”
Israel has imposed a siege on the Gaza Strip since 2007, and Palestinian data indicate that the ongoing war since October 2023 has left tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, and led to widespread destruction of infrastructure and a severe humanitarian crisis in the Strip, amid severe restrictions on the entry of aid, fuel, and medical supplies.
The Gaza Strip is witnessing an unprecedented humanitarian and health crisis since Israel began its war of genocide, which led to the widespread destruction of infrastructure, including hospitals and health care facilities.
The Gaza Strip also suffers from severe Israeli restrictions on the entry of fuel and medical supplies, in addition to a severe shortage of medicines and equipment.
