BARCELONA, April 12 — The international community must take decisive action and mobilise immediately to halt the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as the situation has escalated beyond a humanitarian crisis into a global struggle for justice, said Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 steering committee member Thiago Avila.
He added that the time has come for a global uprising against atrocities being committed, noting that the people of Gaza cannot afford further delays.
“We know that the time is now. Gaza cannot wait. Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba, and all the other countries around the world cannot wait. We need to mobilise before it’s too late,” he said when met less than 24 hours before the flotilla is set to sail.
Avila said despite talks of a ceasefire over the last six months, the reality remains grim as people in Gaza continue to be killed and essential aid remains heavily restricted by Zionist Israeli forces.
He stressed that GSF 2.0 is not just a maritime mission but a response to direct calls from Palestinians to remind the world that they are not alone.
Avila said the boats are not even the most important part, and that what matters most is the impact they have on people’s hearts and minds, and helping them understand that it is time to act and mobilise.
Comparing this year’s efforts to previous missions, he noted that GSF 2.0 has doubled in scale, involving over 80 boats and thousands of activists.
He attributed Israel’s escalating colonial project and regional attacks to the total impunity seen in Gaza, which he believes has encouraged further aggression in West Asia and beyond.
“We don’t want to be ruled by these war criminals, the worst people alive on this planet right now. We know that people’s combined forces, joining together and mobilising, they have the capacity to change the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Avila said “Terima kasih Malaysia” in commending the country’s unwavering solidarity and its efforts in voicing support for Palestine on the global stage.
He said Malaysia’s commitment is “beautiful and amazing”, adding that it has been a vital force in the global movement to end the genocide in Gaza.
Avila said the strong commitment shown by Malaysians and the wider Asian community adds a significant moral dimension to the maritime mission.
“The solidarity from Malaysia, from all Nusantara region, and from all Asia in fact, has been amazing. We are very grateful for that. To the Malaysian people, we would like to say ‘terima kasih’. You’ve been amazing,” he added.
He noted that Malaysia, alongside Indonesia, represents a powerful voice in the global Muslim community that is deeply connected to the Palestinian struggle.
Avila emphasised that these communities are driven by a collective refusal to witness the starvation of children and the targeted bombing of hospitals and shelters.
“We see the Asian participants of our mission as something beautiful. We're talking about communities that love Palestine, that love freedom, that love solidarity, that hate seeing children being starved to death or bombed,” he added.
Part of the GSF 2.0 mission is set to depart Barcelona today, carrying an international coalition determined to challenge Israel’s siege on Gaza and respond to the escalating humanitarian and political crisis faced by Palestinians.
The mission involves more than 80 boats and over 1,000 participants from around the world, combining maritime action with coordinated global mobilisation on land, as well as linking solidarity efforts, legal advocacy and grassroots campaigns across multiple countries.
