18 Italian boats carrying aid for Gaza will join other vessels departing from Tunisia.The 18 Italian boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest independent initiative to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, departed from the Sicilian port of Augusta on Saturday afternoon.Four Italian centre-left opposition politicians were on board: MEP Benedetta Scuderi of the Green-Left Alliance, MP Arturo Scotto and MEP Annalisa Corrado of the Partito Democratico (PD) and senator Marco Croatti of the Movimento 5 Stelle. The departure had been scheduled for last Thursday but was postponed twice due to bad weather which delayed the journey of other flotilla boats from Barcelona, which are currently in Tunisia. The Italian boats, including those that arrived in Sicily from Genoa, will meet up in the Mediterranean Sea with other boats departing from Tunisia. Il momento della partenza della Global Sumud Flotilla dal porto di Augusta: le imbarcazioni prendono il largo in direzione di Gaza pic.twitter.com/vbsdOOiIvx — Local Team (@localteamit) September 13, 2025 Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is among those travelling on the flotilla from Tunis. The fleet, including the boats departing from Tunis, will comprise about 50 boats carrying around 600 people. Together, the boats will attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza and overcome a naval blockade imposed by Israel. The Italian vessels will carry food collected in Genoa in recent days, which has reached nearly 500 tons, according to the latest figures from the Genoese organisation Music for Peace which organised the food drive. Global Sumud flotilla sails from Sicily to join Tunis — together we head for Gaza. Break the siege. pic.twitter.com/BCx42KGXq0 — Global Sumud Flotilla (@GlobalSumudF) September 13, 2025 Last week two flotilla boats anchored in Tunisian waters were struck by what appeared to be drones launched from the Tunisian coast, prompting protests in Italy. The right-wing Italian government has stated that it would prefer humanitarian support initiatives for Gaza to go through "already existing humanitarian channels" but has pledged to guarantee full consular support to the Italians on board the flotilla. The boats' journey can be tracked on the Global Sumud Flotilla website. Photo credit: davide bonaldo / Shutterstock.com.

The 18 Italian boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest independent initiative to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, departed from the Sicilian port of Augusta on Saturday afternoon. Four Italian centre-left opposition politicians were on board: MEP Benedetta Scuderi of the Green-Left Alliance, MP Arturo Scotto and MEP Annalisa Corrado of the Partito Democratico (PD) and senator Marco Croatti of the Movimento 5 Stelle. The departure had been scheduled for last Thursday but was postponed twice due to bad weather which delayed the journey of other flotilla boats from Barcelona, which are currently in Tunisia. The Italian boats, including those that arrived in Sicily from , will meet up in the Mediterranean Sea with other boats departing from Tunisia. Il momento della partenza della Global Sumud Flotilla dal porto di Augusta: le imbarcazioni prendono il largo in direzione di Gaza — Local Team (@localteamit) Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is among those travelling on the flotilla from Tunis. The fleet, including the boats departing from Tunis, will comprise about 50 boats carrying around 600 people. Together, the boats will attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza and overcome a naval blockade imposed by Israel. The Italian vessels will carry in recent days, which has reached nearly 500 tons, according to the latest figures from the Genoese organisation Music for Peace which organised the food drive. Global Sumud flotilla sails from Sicily to join Tunis — together we head for Gaza. Break the siege. — Global Sumud Flotilla (@GlobalSumudF) Last week two flotilla boats anchored in Tunisian waters were struck by what appeared to be drones launched from the Tunisian coast, prompting . The right-wing Italian government has stated that it would prefer humanitarian support initiatives for Gaza to go through "already existing humanitarian channels" but has pledged to to the Italians on board the flotilla. The boats' journey can be tracked on the . Photo credit: davide bonaldo / Shutterstock.com.