Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise Ship to Join the Global Sumud Flotilla to Break Israel’s Illegal Siege on Gaza [Multilingual PDF Available]

April 6, 2026

BARCELONA – In a powerful show of global solidarity, Greenpeace has today announced that it will send its ship Arctic Sunrise to support the Global Sumud Flotilla’s Spring 2026 mission which will set sail from Barcelona on April 12 toward Gaza to confront and help break Israel’s illegal siege.

Departing with a coalition expected to include more than 70 vessels and 1,000+ participants from over 70 countries, the mission will carry hundreds of medics, teachers, and eco-builders, bringing vital expertise in healthcare, education, and sustainable rebuilding directly to support Palestinians in Gaza. This mission represents the largest civilian‐led maritime effort to directly challenge the decades‐long blockade imposed on Gaza and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe facing Palestinians.

Adding to the flotilla’s global solidarity and humanitarian reach, the rescue vessel Open Arms, operated by the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, announced last month that it too will join the fleet as it crosses the Mediterranean en route to Gaza on April 12. The participation of Open Arms brings additional humanitarian personnel and logistical support to the mission, underscoring the breadth of civil society mobilization as governments continue to fail in their legal and moral obligations.

This collaboration between internationally recognized civil society actors is a significant show of solidarity in the global response to the siege and the genocidal conditions it perpetuates. The Global Sumud Flotilla’s itinerary includes coordinated land and sea actions, designed to confront impunity, uphold international law, and demand unrestricted access to Gaza for humanitarian aid and reconstruction support.

Gaza’s siege is not merely a political crisis; it is an existential catastrophe. The systematic demolition of coastal ecosystems, water infrastructure, agricultural systems, fisheries, and food security is ecocide, the destruction of the very ecological conditions that sustain life. What is unfolding against Palestinians is not only genocide, but the deliberate eradication of the conditions that make life possible.

As Ghiwa Nakat, Executive Director of Greenpeace MENA, affirmed, "The devastation inflicted on Gaza has become a dangerous doctrine of impunity, now spreading to Lebanon through relentless destruction and deepening human suffering. The Greenpeace ship is joining this people-led mission to demand safe, unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza and to challenge the illegal blockade that continues to devastate civilian life. We stand firmly against war crimes, deliberate starvation, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and ecocide. This flotilla is a call to governments around the world to end their silence, protect humanitarian action, and act with urgency and principle to uphold international law, human dignity, and justice."

Greenpeace’s history of defending the seas, confronting injustice and taking action in defence of life makes them a powerful addition to our 2026 spring mission. The Arctic Sunrise’s role is to provide technical and operational maritime support so that the vessels safely transit across the Mediterranean before the flotilla completes the last 200 nautical miles onto Gaza’s shores.

Ecocide. Genocide. Siege. Impunity. These are not distant concepts. They are the pillars of a violent doctrine that Palestinians continue to face most brutally. But what is being normalized in Gaza will not remain confined there.

Media Opportunities:

Credentialed media will have access to the Barcelona departure on April 12, including:

• ●  Official launch press conference with mission organizers, international participants, and delegation leaders.
• ●  Designated on‐shore and on‐deck visuals for photo, video, and feature reporting. Governments have failed. Civil society is moving. Sail with us.

MEDIA CONTACT

Email: media@globalsumudflotilla.org Phone: +44 1414 620 950
Website: globalsumudflotilla.org

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