A flotilla of boats carrying aid and left-wing activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, was forced to abandon its journey to Gaza on Sunday just hours after leaving Barcelona due to poor weather.
Roughly 30 boats, loaded with food and medical supplies, set sail from the Catalan port city with the stated aim of breaking Israel’s blockade and delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Among those on board were Thunberg and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.
However, according to Spain’s ABC news, the flotilla quickly ran into strong winds. The captains decided to turn back, citing safety risks for the smaller boats in the convoy. “Due to unsafe weather conditions, we conducted a sea trial and then returned to port to allow the storm to pass,” the group said in a statement on Monday. Organizers indicated they would attempt to resume the voyage once conditions improve.
Before departing on Sunday, Thunberg denounced Israel and Western governments, accusing them of complicity in what she described as “genocide” in Gaza. The 22-year-old activist, known for her apocalyptic climate warnings, has increasingly shifted her focus toward condemning the Jewish state.
This was not Thunberg’s first attempt to reach Hamas-controlled Gaza by sea. In June, she and other pro-Palestinian activists were intercepted, detained, and deported by Israeli forces. During that incident, Israeli officials reportedly tried to show her video evidence of Hamas atrocities during the October 7 terrorist attacks, but she and her colleagues refused to watch. Thunberg later accused Israel of “kidnapping” her.
The flotilla organizers said they plan to make another attempt to sail for Gaza as soon as weather conditions allow.
