Overview

• Organisers say more than 40 boats carrying food, water, medicine and other supplies are now at sea with 300-plus participants from over 40 countries.
• The fleet that departed Tunisia is set to rendezvous with 18 vessels from Sicily and two ships that left Syros, with a merger expected near Malta before proceeding toward Gaza.
• Repeated delays followed two suspected drone attacks in Tunisian waters, fuel shortages and safety checks, while storm and mechanical damage sidelined several original boats.
• High-profile participants include Greta Thunberg, European lawmaker Rima Hassan, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and South African MP Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, as Italy provides consular support for its citizens on board.
• AFP debunked a widely shared video falsely claimed to show the flotilla, identifying it as footage of Chinese fishing vessels, while past missions such as the Madleen were intercepted earlier this year.