Published On 1 Sep 20251 Sep 2025The Global Sumud Flotilla carrying aid to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip has been forced to turn back due to poor weather, according to a statement by the group and sources travelling with the mission.The flotilla said on X that strong winds on Sunday of more than 30 knots (55.6 kilometres per hour, or 34.5 miles per hour) on the Mediterranean Sea could have posed a problem for smaller boats in the convoy.“The decision was made by the [flotilla] steering commission … to turn back towards Barcelona’s La Vela port, where they arrived after 22:00 (10pm, or 20:00 GMT),” Al Jazeera’s Mauricio Morales said while reporting from the Familia, part of the flotilla.The decision to turn back was taken about three hours earlier, Morales added.The flotilla, which had set off from Barcelona on Sunday, said on X that it conducted a sea trial and made the decision to return to port to allow the storm to pass.According to Morales, a second attempt to set off is expected on Monday.The flotillaThe flotilla comprises dozens of small civilian vessels carrying volunteers and humanitarian supplies.It planned to meet up with a second wave of vessels in Tunisia on Thursday, but that plan has now been slightly delayed.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA MISSION DEPARTURE DELAYED TO PRIORITIZE SAFETY AMID STRONG MEDITERRANEAN WINDS pic.twitter.com/A4YDahLiJh
— Global Sumud Flotilla (@GlobalSumudF) September 1, 2025This is the third aid flotilla of its kind in recent months to attempt to bre …
