TUNIS — Celebrated French actress and activist Adèle Haenel has announced she is joining the “Global Sumud flotilla,” a humanitarian mission aiming to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The flotilla, described as the biggest attempt yet to deliver aid by sea, is scheduled to depart from Tunis on Sunday, September 7, after being postponed from its initial departure date due to bad weather and logistical delays.
According to media reports, Haenel, who two years ago announced her departure from the film industry for “political reasons,” stated that her decision to join the mission was motivated by the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “Our goal is to bring food and medicine to the people of Gaza, who are suffering from a famine deliberately orchestrated by the Israeli government,” she said.
The mission, with “sumud” meaning “resilience” in Arabic, will see more than a hundred activists from dozens of countries embarking from Tunisia. Haenel, 36, who gained international acclaim for her roles in films like Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Deerskin, arrived in Tunisia last weekend to prepare for the voyage.
The flotilla’s departure from Barcelona was also delayed, and it is now expected to rendezvous with the ships from Tunisia before proceeding toward Gaza. The flotilla includes prominent figures such as Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, along with several European elected officials.
The flotilla’s mission comes as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has confirmed that parts of the Gaza Strip are officially facing a “man-made” famine. The IPC’s August 22 report stated that over half a million people in Gaza are facing “catastrophic conditions.”
Since the Hamas attack on Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has found that claims of genocide against Israel are plausible, though Israel maintains its military operations are lawful acts of self-defense. The flotilla’s organizers and participants hope to draw international attention to the humanitarian crisis and demand the opening of a permanent humanitarian corridor.