Gaza-bound flotilla almost 300 miles from coast of Israel
It has taken a month for the flotilla to traverse around 1,700 nautical miles of open water.
The Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla reached a point in the Eastern Mediterranean that is 300 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza and Israel on Monday afternoon.
This means that by sunset, it was likely within 300 miles off the coast, because nautical miles tend to be slightly larger than normal miles.
The flotilla set sail from Barcelona on September 1, meaning it has taken a month to traverse about 1,700 nautical miles of open water.
The flotilla consists of some 40 vessels. It has been bolstered by the presence of the large support boat, Life Support, run by the NGO Emergency.
In addition, the Greek Coast Guard shadowed the flotilla after it left the waters near Crete on Saturday. Italy and Spain also sent naval ships to monitor the flotilla after the activists claimed to have been attacked in the early hours of Wednesday.
Greta Thunberg and a crew member flash victory signs from their ship, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel’s naval blockade, as they sail off Crete island, Greece, September 25, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Additionally, Turkey sent drones to fly over the flotilla. The activists said a Turkish naval vessel had also been spotted.
This could potentially mean the navies of three countries are now close to the flotilla.
“Spanish and Italian Navy ships are alone with the Global Sumud Flotilla fleet for protection in case of Israeli aggression,” a social-media account focused on the flotilla said.
It is not clear what those countries intend to do. Ostensibly, Italy and Spain have sought to help their citizens and deter more attacks on the vessels.
Flotilla to arrive on Yom Kippur?
Most of the vessels are sailboats, traveling at 5 knots. They can thus travel about 100 miles a day. This means they might reach the coast of Gaza by October 2 on Yom Kippur.
It is not clear what their plans are, but the activists say this is the final stretch of their journey. Their spirits seem high due to the presence of the drones and naval vessels. They believe they now have some protection as they slowly sail toward Israel.
The flotilla left behind at least one ship off southern Crete. The Family pleasure craft had engine trouble and had to remain behind.
The ships that left from Spain on September 1 were joined by about 20 sailboats from Italy that met the flotilla in mid-September. Then, six more sailboats joined from Greece, meeting the group of ships on September 24.
Israel has encouraged the ships to dock in a third country or even in Ashkelon and unload their aid. Italy has also urged the organizers to transfer aid in another manner to Gaza.
Israel has accused the flotilla of being linked to Hamas.
