The Global Sumud Flotilla announced plans on Thursday for what organisers describe as the largest coordinated civilian mobilisation to Gaza since Israel imposed its blockade.
The Global Sumud Flotilla announced plans on Thursday for what organisers describe as the largest coordinated civilian mobilisation to Gaza since Israel imposed its blockade, with parallel land and sea actions set to launch at the end of March 2026.
The initiative will begin with a maritime departure from Barcelona on March 29, before expanding across multiple Mediterranean ports in a phased operation that combines a flotilla at sea with a coordinated overland convoy.
Organisers said the combined actions were intended to form a civilian-led humanitarian corridor aimed at facilitating access to Gaza and sustaining international solidarity with Palestinians.
The announcement was made at a press conference at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, attended by members of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s international steering committee who are in South Africa as part of outreach before the Spring 2026 mobilisation.
Opening the briefing, organisers welcomed representatives from civil society organisations, faith-based groups and the media, describing the Johannesburg event as the flotilla’s first major public announcement in South Africa before the March launch.
Reverend Frank Chikane addressed the conference, thanking South African civil society and institutions for hosting the delegation and expressing appreciation for what he described as visible public support for Palestine across the country.
He framed the mobilisation in moral and historical terms, drawing on South Africa’s experience of international solidarity during the anti-apartheid struggle.
Chikane spoke about shared responsibility and conscience, arguing that ordinary people had a role to play when political and institutional responses failed to halt civilian suffering. He did not address operational or logistical aspects of the planned mission.
Steering committee member Saif Abukeshek said the decision to hold the briefing in South Africa reflected the movement’s view of the country as a reference point for people-led resistance. Speaking at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, he said organisers were drawing inspiration from the country’s struggle against apartheid and the legacy of Nelson Mandela.
Abukeshek said contacts on the ground in Gaza had reported no material improvement in conditions despite references to a ceasefire. He said at least 20 Palestinians had been killed in bombardments the previous day, including an 11-year-old child, bringing the number of people killed since the start of the ceasefire to more than 500.
He said the humanitarian impact on children had intensified, stating that the number of orphans in Gaza had risen from about 16 000 in 2013 to more than 40 000. The figures represented children in need of protection and international support rather than abstract statistics.
Abukeshek also outlined severe restrictions on movement and medical access, saying only a few patients were being allowed to leave Gaza each day for treatment, while thousands remained stranded. He said tens of thousands of Palestinians were stuck outside Gaza, including in Egypt, with many facing urgent medical needs.
Criticising international proposals for Gaza’s future, Abukeshek rejected externally driven reconstruction or governance plans, saying they sidelined Palestinian self-determination and accountability. He described the flotilla as a people-led alternative rooted in collective civilian action rather than state-led frameworks.
Steering committee member Nadir Al Nuri provided an overview of the political and humanitarian situation in Gaza, describing continued restrictions on aid access and ongoing civilian casualties.
He said the initiative extended beyond maritime action and involved coordinated civil society efforts across land, sea, legal advocacy, media engagement and community organising.
Al Nuri criticised what he described as international “rebuilding” proposals that failed to address accountability or Palestinian rights, arguing that such plans undermined justice while restricting free access to humanitarian assistance.
The land component of the mobilisation was outlined by steering committee member Ahmed Ghnaia, who introduced a planned humanitarian convoy set to depart in parallel with the maritime mission. He said the convoy was intended to challenge restrictions at the Rafah border and demonstrate the need for people-powered humanitarian corridors.
Ghnaia said previous land convoys had shown both the possibilities and limitations of civilian-led access efforts. He said the upcoming mobilisation sought to expand participation while maintaining coordination with the maritime mission.
Mission logistics and launch plans were detailed by steering committee member Sumeyra Akdeniz-Ordu, who said the Spring 2026 mobilisation would involve thousands of participants and hundreds of vessels.
She confirmed that the first maritime departure would take place from Barcelona on March 29, followed by launches from Italy, Tunisia and other Mediterranean ports.
Akdeniz-Ordu said organisers were calling for global mobilisation over the launch weekend and described the initiative as a civilian-led and Palestinian-led alternative to state-driven reconstruction proposals. She said specialised teams participating in the mission would include more than 1 000 medical professionals, alongside educators, unarmed civilian protective groups and rebuilding and support teams.
The aim was to stand with Palestinians seeking safety, justice and dignity, while supporting what organisers described as the earliest phases of rebuilding, she said.
Chief Mandla Mandela also addressed the press conference, voicing support for the flotilla and situating it within what he described as a renewed phase of global civil society mobilisation in support of Palestine. He said Nelson Mandela had made it clear that South Africa’s freedom would remain incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinian people.
Mandela had warned against international pressure being applied to South Africa and its institutions over their stance on Palestine, including criticism directed at the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Civil society would resist efforts to undermine South Africa’s support for legal accountability mechanisms, including its case at the International Court of Justice.
He said a broad coalition of South African organisations supported the mobilisation, including faith-based groups, civil society movements, Jewish and Muslim organisations, student formations and community leaders.
Mandela called for mass participation in both the maritime and land components of the Spring 2026 mission, saying large-scale civilian mobilisation would be essential.
Organisers said the March 29 departure would mark the beginning of a broader period of global mobilisation linked to the Spring 2026 mission, with additional actions planned across multiple regions.