The flotilla sets sail again after admitting that yesterday's attempt was "a test."

BarcelonaThe Global Sumud Flotilla vessels set sail again this afternoon from Barcelona after returning to port on Sunday just hours after the official departure. The first vessels began leaving the port of Barcelona around 8 p.m., heading for the Gaza Strip, a hostile area affected by the war in the Middle East, where they hope to dock loaded with humanitarian aid for the victims of the conflict.

The second attempt to set sail comes almost 12 hours after the humanitarian initiative's organization admitted in a statement that on Sunday, "due to adverse weather conditions," they carried out "a navigation test" and then returned to port to wait for the storm at sea to pass. All of this, they say, "entailed postponing the departure to avoid risks with the smaller vessels." "Faced with winds of over 30 knots and the unpredictable nature of the Mediterranean, we made this decision to prioritize the safety and well-being of all participants and to safeguard the success of our mission," they conclude.

In fact, Saif Abukeshek, one of the spokespersons for the Global Sumud Flotilla, has admitted to the ARA that the weather setback has served as an opportunity for them to carry out tests, especially due to the fact that "among the 350 activists who are part of the expedition, there are many who have little sailing experience." Sources close to the vessels also indicate that they also had to turn back due to logistical and documentation problems, as some of the boats were missing some permits.

Sources from the organization explain that the expedition members met this morning and had planned to reschedule the flotilla's departure for this Monday "around two or three in the afternoon," but by seven in the evening they had not set sail again.

Predictable wind and boats that were not ready

Regarding Sunday's test sailing attempt, a check of public vessel traffic monitoring systems shows how some of the Flotilla's vessels made very short trips. Some didn't go beyond Sant Adrià de Besòs, others stayed off the port of Barcelona, and some went further out to sea.

The moderate southerly wind that forced the Flotilla to turn back had already been warned by the forecasts made by weather models since early or mid-last week. In fact, the Tuesday morning update of the American model, one of the global benchmarks, already indicated moderate gusts of wind between Barcelona and the island of Mallorca during Sunday afternoon. Subsequently, the more precise models (which are released sooner than the global ones) also indicated these same conditions and added the possibility of showers and storms in Catalonia, which is what ultimately happened.

Threat from Tel Aviv

Meanwhile, the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, has presented a proposal to the Netanyahu government to further toughen the response to the arrival of a possible flotilla. The proposal includes classifying traveling activists as "terrorists," which would exclude any possibility of light or short-term detention. During a meeting of the executive branch, Ben Gvir defended the need to maintain "a firm position to protect Israel's borders and guarantee national security." According to the initial plan, flotilla participants would be transferred to prisons typically designated for suspected terrorists, according to The Jerusalem Post.

"We will not allow people who support terrorism to live in comfort," said the minister, who insists that those detained must "assume the full consequences of their actions" and not receive the relatively lenient treatment received by members of previous flotillas, many of whom were released to their leaders. In addition, Israeli authorities plan to seize all of the flotilla's vessels to use them for security operations.

According to Ben Gvir, this measure is intended to send a clear and dissuasive message to future initiatives of the same type. "Anyone who decides to collaborate with Hamas and support terrorism will receive a strong response from Israel," stressed the minister, known as one of the most radical figures within Netanyahu's government.

The objective of the Global Sumud Flotilla is twofold: on the one hand, to bring humanitarian aid to the more thanOne million Gazans are struggling to survive due to the blockade that Israel has maintained over the Strip since 2007; and, on the other hand, to denounce the passivity of Western governments in the face of the atrocities committed by Benjamin Netanyahu. The expedition brings together around thirty boats, and highlights the figure of activist Greta Thunberg, among other well-known figures, activists and journalists.

On Sunday, the departure of the Flotilla brought together politicians from all parties of the parliamentary left in the port of Barcelona: from Bildu to Podemos, including ERC, the PSC, the CUP and Comuns. On board the boats will be former mayor Ada Colau, Republican councilor Jordi Coronas, and CUP deputy Pilar Castillejo will also be part of the Flotilla.

The wind speed

The statement refers to wind speeds of over 30 knots (about 55 km/h), although according to data from the buoy at the southern entrance of the port of Barcelona, ​​​​from where the vessels set sail in the early afternoon, the maximum wind of the day yesterday was about 26 km/h. The Tarragona buoy, located further south but offshore, recorded a wind speed of about 28 km/h at about 4:00 p.m., and the speed decreased as the hours passed. As for the storms, the weather radar images indicate how the rains that swept the country during the early morning were concentrated in the pre-coastal and inland areas and did not reach the sea, since the port of Barcelona only accumulated 0.5 mm of rain (between 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Alex Sancliment.

On the other hand, Sunday's test also revealed that some vessels were not sufficiently prepared for a voyage of this nature. One of the vessels that has returned and will remain in port is the Rascal, which was to be captained by ERC councilor Jordi Coronas. Sources close to the expedition explain that the boat "was quite dilapidated" and that, despite being suitable for racing, they realized that "it wouldn't last the fifteen-day voyage." They also explain that on the second attempt, the councilor will captain another vessel with a crew of thirty.