After a night of storms, shafts of sunlight revealed a compact armada of more than 50 vessels in Tunis — the Global Sumud Flotilla — loaded with food, medical supplies, and volunteers from over 40 countries preparing to steam toward Gaza to challenge Israel’s long-running naval blockade.

The mission’s urgency hardened after two separate incidents on September 9–10 in which flotilla organizers posted video they say shows drones striking docked boats in Tunisian waters; Tunisian authorities have disputed the account and opened inquiries.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has urged officials to treat participants as “terrorists” and to seize vessels — a threat the flotilla calls intimidation and rights groups say risks criminalizing humanitarian action.

Organizers and volunteers argue the voyage answers a mounting humanitarian emergency in Gaza, where health authorities report over 65,000 killed and aid agencies warn of famine and collapsing services.

For many on board, moral urgency outweighs the risk: “We have been watching a livestreamed genocide…no concrete action by governments — so it’s up to us,” one volunteer told Unicorn Riot while awaiting departure in Tunis.

As the flotilla departed Tunis, its leaders described the voyage as both rescue and testimony: a civil-society push to force corridors for aid while the world watches.