Nine Swiss on board a fleet en route to Gaza
Keystone-SDA
Nine Swiss citizens will sail to Gaza with a new international flotilla. The activists, on board more than 80 boats, intend to protest against Israel and to reiterate their support for the Palestinian population in the region.
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A first convoy of 35 boats will depart from Barcelona on Sunday April 12, the Swiss delegation of the Global Sumud Flotilla organisation announced in a note.
+ Why is so little aid getting into Gaza?
In total, this year’s mission aims to bring together more than 80 boats with over 1,000 participants. Other convoys will set sail from Italy, Greece and Turkey. Of the nine Swiss participants, two will already embark this weekend, the organisation writes.
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The international initiative, launched in 2025, aims to protest against the blockade imposed by Israel in the Gaza Strip. In addition to the “catastrophic humanitarian situation”, the Global Sumud Flotilla wants to demonstrate against the new law – passed by the Israeli parliament – to introduce the death penalty. This would, according to the organisers, only apply to Palestinians.
The participants run the real risk of being hit by drones, intercepted by the Israeli navy, or arrested, which is why the organisers have decided to keep their identities confidential for the time being.
Last autumn, a Swiss delegation took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla – 19 Swiss citizens were among the more than 450 activists on the mission.
At the time, Israeli forces stopped the boats and temporarily detained the participants.
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Adapted from German by AI/mga
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