The global fleet of boats departed from Spain’s Barcelona on Sunday for Gaza as part of an international maritime initiative aimed at delivering humanitarian aid to starving people in Gaza.

In support, thousands of people turned up to show solidarity with Gaza and support the members who will embark on this journey.

The first convoy, consisting of dozens of small civilian vessels carrying activists, humanitarians, doctors, seafarers, and humanitarian supplies, is scheduled to depart from Spanish ports on August 31 to meet up in Tunisia with a second wave on September 4.