UPDATE - Gaza-bound flotilla heads to Tunisia’s Bizerte port ahead of planned departure on Friday

UPDATES WITH DETAILS, ADDS CHANGES

By Adel Elthabti and Tarek Chouiref

TUNIS, Tunisia / ISTANBUL (AA) - Some ships of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla left Sidi Bou Said port on Thursday to Bizerte in northern Tunisia, in preparation for the aid convoy’s planned departure on Friday to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory.

According to Anadolu reporters, several vessels participating in the convoy set sail from the Sidi Bou Said Port, north of the capital Tunis.

Activists also shared images on social media showing some of the flotilla’s ships arriving in Bizerte, about 60 kilometers from the capital.

Steering committee member Mohamed Amin Bennour told the official Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) news agency that the decision to change course was made because conditions were unsafe for small and mid-sized boats to sail directly from the coastal town near Tunis.

“We are moving to Bizerte to finalize preparations before heading toward Gaza on Friday,” he said.

Another organizer, Nabil Chennoufi, stressed to Anadolu that the postponement was due solely to weather conditions, not security concerns, noting that Tunisian authorities had already granted clearance for the convoy.

The flotilla includes around 36 vessels carrying between 500 and 700 activists from over 40 countries. Additional boats from Italy and Spain are expected to join along the route, while organizers said an Egyptian vessel has also been cleared to participate.

On Wednesday, thousands of Tunisians gathered at Sidi Bou Said in support of the mission, waving Palestinian and Tunisian flags and chanting against Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

The convoy is the largest of its kind to date, as previous attempts involved single ships that Israel intercepted at sea. Organizers say their goal is to challenge the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, where famine conditions have taken hold under Israel’s months-long closure of all crossings.

The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed on Aug. 22 that famine had taken hold in northern Gaza and warned it could spread as Israel’s blockade continues.

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 64,700 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.