Greta Thunberg’s Gaza flotilla turns back to port after stormy weather

Greta Thunberg’s aid flotilla was forced to return to port just hours after leaving Barcelona on Sunday after encountering stormy weather, organizers said Monday.

The Global Sumud Flotilla Mission, which said 20 boats took part in what it called the “largest solidarity mission” in history, reported winds of about 35 mph and said the group conducted a sea trial before deciding to return to avoid risking smaller vessels. The Swedish climate activist was aboard one of the vessels. The organizers did not provide a time for when the voyage would be rescheduled.

“We conducted a sea trial and then returned to port to allow the storm to pass. This meant delaying our departure to avoid risking complications with the smaller boats,” the mission said in a statement. The flotilla included international activists and public figures, among them actor Liam Cunningham.

Organizers had warned that Israeli authorities were prepared to intercept the fleet. Thunberg was detained by the Israeli navy months earlier during a previous attempt by activists to sail to Gaza, and organizers said Israel intended to arrest participants of the current mission and detain them under conditions organizers described as “terrorist-level.” The mission statement did not provide independent verification of those planned procedures.

Flotillas sailing to Gaza have frequently faced interception by Israeli maritime forces amid a long-running blockade and security concerns stemming from Israel’s conflict with Hamas. Organizers of such missions say their goal is to deliver humanitarian aid and draw attention to conditions in Gaza; Israeli authorities have argued that maritime approaches can be a security risk.

The Global Sumud Flotilla Mission described the return as a precautionary measure to protect participants and smaller craft in the convoy, and said it would wait for improved conditions before attempting to depart again. It did not name a new departure time.

Organizers and participants gave no further operational details Monday and did not immediately respond to requests for comment about timelines or specific plans for resuming the voyage. The decision to delay was presented as a safety measure; the mission’s public remarks emphasized minimizing risk to people and smaller boats while maintaining the stated objective of delivering solidarity and aid to Gaza.

The flotilla effort comes amid heightened international attention on humanitarian conditions in Gaza and ongoing disputes over the legality and safety of maritime missions. Previous flotillas have resulted in confrontations at sea and diplomatic friction, and organizers said they were monitoring weather and security conditions before attempting another departure.