People gather on the deck of a painted boat bearing artwork and flying multiple flags as it departs as part of a humanitarian flotilla for Gaza from Barcelona, Spain, April 12, 2026. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

A second flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza was due to set sail on Sunday from the Spanish port of Barcelona, aiming to try to break the Israeli blockade.

Thirty-nine boats were due to leave the Mediterranean port city, a spokesperson for the flotilla said, and more vessels also laden with medical aid and other supplies are expected to join along the route towards Palestine.

Rough seas mean the flotilla will sail to another port then head out to international waters later in the week, Thiago Avila, a member of the flotilla’s organizing committee, told a press conference on Sunday.

The Israeli military halted a previous flotilla assembled by the same organization last October as the boats attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 other participants.