Overview

• Organizers say dozens of vessels will leave Genoa on August 31 and Sicily on September 4, linking up with boats departing from Barcelona and Tunisia.
• The coalition brings participants from 44 countries, including humanitarian workers, medics, lawyers, journalists, artists and experienced seafarers.
• In Genoa, Music for Peace and the CALP dockworkers’ collective are spearheading a drive to gather around 40 tons of staple foods through August 29, with a public loading event planned for August 30 before boats head to Catania.
• The mission’s stated aims include ending the siege, halting what they call genocide, stopping the use of hunger as a weapon and rejecting dehumanization, while asserting protection under international maritime and humanitarian law.
• Coverage recalls recent attempts that were intercepted or attacked, including a drone strike off Malta and arrests in international waters, highlighting concerns that the new flotilla could face similar confrontations.