Libyan Hospital Ship Joins Gaza-Bound Flotilla to Defy Israeli Blockade

The Omar al-Mukhtar, outfitted with an intensive care unit and emergency medical supplies, left port on Sunday after weather conditions delayed its earlier departure, spokesman Nabil al-Soukni said.

“We are now fully ready with all our equipment, and we increased the storage of supplies for some of the smaller boats that had been understocked due to their size,” al-Soukni told Anadolu.

He said the vessel is carrying tents for displaced Palestinians, medicines, baby formula and other essential supplies, while also making room for activists from smaller boats unable to continue the journey.

“The popular and moral support we received from some parties in Libya was a strong message to raise the morale of the crew aboard the Omar al-Mukhtar,” al-Soukni added.

Former Libyan prime minister Omar al-Hassi is among those on board, alongside international activists, according to the spokesman.

Medical officer Abdel Rahman Humaid said a health team had been assembled and intensive care facilities established on the ship.

“We equipped the ship with the necessary equipment and medicines and outfitted it with everything required for intensive care,” he said.

The flotilla, involving dozens of ships sailing from North African and European ports, plans to converge near Malta before heading toward Gaza.

Organizers say it marks the largest international effort to reach the enclave in nearly two decades of Israeli blockade.

Israel has previously intercepted Gaza-bound vessels, seizing ships and deporting passengers in efforts to maintain its stranglehold on the territory.

The mission comes as UN investigators concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023 under relentless Israeli assaults.