'We need to stop this': Aid flotilla carrying Greta Thunberg and Irish activists sets sail for Gaza

Irish actor Liam Cunningham, who is supporting the flotilla, described it as “an indication of the world’s failure to uphold international law”.

LAST UPDATE | 31 Aug 2025

A FLOTILLA CARRYING humanitarian aid and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, has left Barcelona to try to “break the illegal siege of Gaza”.

The Global Sumud Flotilla set off from the Spanish port city to “open a humanitarian corridor and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people”.

The group defines itself on its website as saying it is a “nonviolent fleet of mostly small vessels”. It said it is an independent organisation which has no affiliation either to any government or political party.

Sumud is the Arabic word for “steadfastness” or “resilience”.

The vessels left at around 3pm Irish time, with dozens of other vessels expected to leave Tunisian and other Mediterranean ports on 4 September.

The flotilla is expected to arrive in Gaza in mid-September.

dozens-of-people-gather-before-the-farewell-to-the-global-sunat-flotilla-at-the-port-of-barcelona-on-august-31-2025-in-barcelona-catalonia-spain-the-global-sumud-flotilla-sets-sail-from-the-medit Crowds of people gather to bid farewell to the Global Sumud Flotilla at the Port of Barcelona. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

As well as Thunberg, the flotilla includes activists from several countries, European lawmakers and public figures such as former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.

A number of Irish activists, including comedian Tadhg Hickey, psychotherapist Caoimhe Butterly, novelist Naoise Dolan and poet Sarah Clancy, are sailing with the flotilla.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has said that he will join the flotilla in Tunisia.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, who is supporting the flotilla, said the reason the mission was happening was not about boats.

“The genocide is not about numbers or UN resolutions. It’s about people, and specifically the people of Gaza,” Cunningham said.

The actor played a brief clip of a child singing. He said it was a Palestinian child called Fatima, and that she had said she wanted the song she was singing to be played at her funeral. He said Fatima was killed in Gaza four days ago.

Irish actor Liam Cunningham honours Palestinian child Fatima, who had once said she wanted a particular song sung at her funeral if she were killed by Israel; Fatima was later killed in an Israeli attack pic.twitter.com/6r8K3F0ZUj
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) August 31, 2025

“Somebody is going to be singing that song over that child’s corpse. That’s why I’m at this table, and that’s why the flotilla is important. Western governments should have made it unnecessary for these boats to be making this trip.”

Irish government ‘really cowardly’

Cunningham said the fact that the flotilla was happening was “an indication of the world’s failure to uphold international law and humanitarian law”.

It is a shameful, shameful period in the history of our world. We should be collectively ashamed, and we need to get up and stop this as soon as we possibly can.

Irish comedian Tadhg Hickey, who is joining the flotilla, said it was “the bare minimum” that they could do “just to show basic empathy and solidarity with people who are starving to death”.

“Myself and Liam are from a country whose history is pockmarked by genocide and man-made starvation, so I’m very proud that every time I turn a corner here at the moment, I meet someone new from Ireland who’s part of the crew or part of the participants,” he said.

Hickey described the Irish government, along with other Western governments, as “really, really cowardly”.

He said if the Irish government “stepped in and grew a spine and sanctioned this rogue state and put pressure on this rogue state to stop slaughtering people and starving people to death, then ordinary civilians” wouldn’t have to take time out of their lives to join the flotilla.

Meanwhile, Thunberg told reporters that the story “is not about the mission that we are about to embark upon”.

“The story here is about Palestine. The story here is how people are being deliberately deprived of the very basic means to survive. The story here is how the world can be silent.”

Previous attempts

The Global Sumud Flotilla describes itself as an independent group not linked to any government or political party. Sumud means “perseverance” in Arabic.

Israel has already blocked two attempts by activists to deliver aid by ship to Gaza this year.

barcelona-spain-30th-aug-2025-a-group-of-irish-people-carrying-the-flags-of-ireland-and-palestine-are-seen-during-an-event-in-support-of-the-global-sumud-flotilla-more-than-20-boats-will-leave-th A group of Irish people carrying the flags of Ireland and Palestine are seen during an event in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

In June, 12 activists on board the sailboat Madleen, from France, Germany, Brazil, Turkey, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands, were intercepted by Israeli forces 185 kilometres west of Gaza.

Its passengers, who included Thunberg, were detained and eventually expelled.

In July, 21 activists from ten countries were intercepted as they tried to approach Gaza in another vessel, the Handala.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened in recent weeks.

The United Nations declared a state of famine in the territory this month, warning that 500,000 people face “catastrophic” conditions.