Less than six months after Israeli forces intercepted an aid flotilla to Gaza, detaining and expelling hundreds onboard, the activists plan to return to sea, this time with around 100 boats and up to 1,000 medics, they said on Thursday (February 5).

The Israeli military last October intercepted the roughly 40 boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla as they attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thurnberg and more than 450 other participants.

"We can isolate apartheid Israel, collapse it and bring it to its knees," Mandla Mandela, grandson of South Africa's first democratic President Nelson Mandela, said in a meeting of the flotilla activists at the ex-leader's foundation.

Israeli officials have repeatedly denounced the mission as a stunt.

The activists attempted to bring aid supplies and draw attention to the plight of Gaza, where most of its 2.3 million residents have been displaced and their homes left in ruins.

Under a U.S.-backed peace plan, Palestians began trickling back this week across the Rafah crossing.

Israel has faced global condemnation over the war in Gaza, and for the widespread hunger its blockade caused, and it is defending itself against genocide charges in the International Court of Justice, brought by South Africa's government.

That case, and symbolism of Mandela as victor against apartheid, was why South Africa was chosen to host the first meeting since last year. South African officials, including ex-president Mandela, have compared their struggle against white minority rule to the Palestinian cause which Israel rejects.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (FEBRUARY 5, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. GLOBAL SUMUD ACTIVIST MANDLA MANDELA ARRIVING AND GREETING FELLOW ACTIVISTS

2. MANDLA MANDELA SPEAKING TO MEDIA

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GLOBAL SUMUD ACTIVIST, MANDLA MANDELA, SAYING:

"We come together in the Global Sumud Flotilla because of acknowledging that as a collective across the globe we can isolate apartheid Israel, collapse it and bring it to its knees, just as we did with apartheid in South Africa. We therefore want to take this opportunity comrades and friends, to call on to the entire global community…registration is now open for mission 2026!"

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (FILE - OCTOBER 8, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

4. GLOBAL SUMUD ACTIVIST MANDLA MANDELA HUGGING HIS WIFE AS HE ARRIVED FROM THE FLOTILLA MISSION INTERCEPTED BY ISRAEL

5. ACTIVISTS WAVING PALESTINE FLAGS WELCOMING FLOTILLA ACTIVISTS

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (FEBRUARY 5, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

6. SUMEYRA AKDENIZ-ORDU SPEAKING TO MEDIA

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA ACTIVIST, SUMEYRA AKDENIZ-ORDU, SAYING:

"We're coming with the announcement that we will sail this time with thousands participants including more than a thousand doctors, nurses, health professionals over 100 boats. And here we will invite…we are inviting hereby participants from every nation, from every country. The departure will be at the initial historic departure from Barcelona followed by Tunisia, Italy and other Mediterranean parts. And we will sail this time at the date of March the 29th."

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - SEPTEMBER 1, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

8. VARIOUS OF FLOTILLA BOAT WITH PALESTINIAN FLAGS LEAVING PORT

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (FEBRUARY 5, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

9. ACTIVISTS STANDING TOGETHER

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (FEBRUARY 5, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER, NADIR AL-NURI, SAYING:

"Even though we didn't manage to reach the Gaza shores last mission but we managed to move the whole world to support Palestine. We managed in a way to push Trump to agree on a peace plan which is better than what we experienced in the past genocide that was happening."

11. VARIOUS OF NELSON MANDELA FOUNDATION ENTRANCE SIGN READING (English): "WELCOME"