BARCELONA, April 12 — The international community must take decisive action and mobilise immediately to halt the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as the situation has escalated beyond a humanitarian crisis into a global struggle for justice.
Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 steering committee member Thiago Avila said the time has come for a global uprising against the atrocities being committed, noting that the people of Gaza cannot afford further delays.
“We know that the time is now. Gaza cannot wait. Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba, and all the other countries around the world cannot wait. We need to mobilise before it’s too late,” he said when met less than 24 hours before the flotilla is set to sail.
Avila said that despite talks of a ceasefire over the last six months, the reality on the ground remains grim as people in Gaza continue to be killed and essential aid remains heavily restricted by Zionist forces.
He stressed that GSF 2.0 is not merely a maritime mission but a response to the direct calling of the Palestinian people to remind the world that they are not alone.
Avila said the boats were not even the most important part and that what mattered most was the impact they had on people’s hearts and minds, helping them understand that it was time to act and mobilise.
Comparing this year’s efforts to previous missions, he noted that GSF 2.0 has doubled in scale, involving over 80 boats and thousands of activists.
He attributed the escalating colonial project and regional attacks to the total impunity seen in Gaza, which he believes has encouraged further aggression in the Middle East and beyond.
“We don’t want to be ruled by these war criminals, the worst people alive on this planet right now. We know that people’s combined forces, joining together and mobilising, they have the capacity to change the world,” he said.
The GSF is scheduled to depart from Barcelona today, carrying an international coalition determined to challenge Israel’s siege on Gaza and respond to the escalating humanitarian and political crisis faced by Palestinians.
