Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Activists stand near supplies in a warehouse in l'Estaque, part of Marseille's harbour, southern France, on April 4, 2026, during a rally in support of a flotilla carrying activists from Thousand Madleens to Gaza movement as they prepare to set sail. (Photo by CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP)

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775322120969Screen Shot 2026-04-05 at 1.01.46 AM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Activists stand near supplies in a warehouse in l&#x27;Estaque, part of Marseille&#x27;s harbour, southern France, on April 4, 2026, during a rally in support of a flotilla carrying activists from Thousand Madleens to Gaza movement as they prepare to set sail. <em>Photo by Clement Mahoudeau/AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>MARSEILLE, France — Some 20 French boats set sail from Marseille on Saturday to join up with an international flotilla making a renewed effort to break an Israeli blockade and deliver aid to Gaza, AFP reporters saw.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/29/new-gaza-bound-flotilla-sets-off-from-sicily-0036">New Gaza-bound flotilla sets off from Sicily</a></div><p>&quot;Gaza, Marseille is with you&quot; shouted around a thousand people who had come to the docks to support the initiative.</p><p>The ships, mostly sailboats, set off to a round of applause and songs shortly after 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) to join the &quot;Global Sumud Flotilla&quot;, named after a Gazan fisherman.</p><p>The international flotilla of some 100 boats, mostly setting sail from Barcelona on April 12, will head towards Gaza around April 20, according to the organizers. A week-long stopover is planned in southern Italy for &quot;non-violence training.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The goal is to give Palestine more visibility. We&#x27;re not talking about it much right now, because of the international context,&quot; said Manon, a crew member who declined to give her full name.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/8/31/aid-flotilla-with-greta-thunberg-set-to-sail-for-gaza-1958">Aid flotilla with Greta Thunberg sets sail for Gaza</a></div><p>In late 2025, an initial flotilla of about 50 boats, composed of political figures and activists such as Sweden&#x27;s Greta Thunberg, was boarded by the Israeli navy -- illegally according to the organizers and Amnesty International.</p><p>The crew members were arrested and expelled by Israel.</p><p>The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement accuse each other of violating a ceasefire that came into effect on October 10, 2025, after two years of war.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><br/><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0daeaAnDrgA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FnWuY3Ckplw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Igre-roAAH8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7dkTW_c6xKY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Some 20 French boats set sail from Marseille on Saturday to join up with an international flotilla making a renewed effort to break an Israeli blockade and deliver aid to Gaza, AFP reporters saw.</p>

Some 20 French boats set sail from Marseille on Saturday to join up with an international flotilla making a renewed effort to break an Israeli blockade and deliver aid to Gaza, AFP reporters saw.

French boats set sail to join Gaza aid flotilla

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French boats set sail to join Gaza aid flotilla

Agence France-Presse

Published April 05, 2026 01:08 AM PHT

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