Freedom Flotilla returns to Caleta de Vélez en route to Gaza

The boat, also known as the Kate Tenacity, set sail from Bristol in mid-August and has since made various stops across Europe. In Spain, it has called at Bilbao and called into Vigo last week after a mechanical fault had previously forced it to halt its journey in Santander. Its itinerary involves continuing around the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean before attempting to reach Gaza.

According to the organisers, the welcome ceremony in Caleta brought together crew members, representatives of charity groups, local residents and political leaders from the PSOE and Izquierda Unida political parties. The Axarquía with Palestine platform also thanked the local and port authorities for their cooperation in making the port call and the public meeting possible.

Elías Khoury, a representative of the coalition, thanked "the crew of the Kate for their dedication and sacrifice" and drew attention to the Palestinian civilian population. "These figures are not just numbers. They are people, entire families, boys and girls. And the world continues to look the other way," he said during the event. The group once again used the term "genocide" to describe Israel's actions in Gaza.

Frank Romano, communications officer for the Kate-Tenacity, stated that the expedition intends to continue despite the risks. "We will not be intimidated; we will return to Gaza," he said. The activist also defended the value of these voyages in keeping the Palestinian situation on the public agenda and explained that the flotilla aims to move "from mere debate to direct action".

Elena Guerra, a representative of the citizens' association Unadikum, also spoke, arguing that the participants in the flotilla are taking on roles which, in her organisation's view, should be carried out by the international community in order to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. "They have decided to put their bodies on the line where governments have offered nothing but intentions, broken promises and silence," she said.

The stopover also had political implications. Juan Márquez Torres, a representative of Izquierda Unida, called for an arms embargo and international measures to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza. Víctor González, a representative of the PSOE in Vélez-Málaga criticised the absence of the mayor, Jesús Lupiáñez, from the reception and felt that he should have been present.

The humanitarian situation remains critical despite the ceasefire agreement announced on 10 October 2025. The platform claims that more than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then, but the latest figures available from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), published on 25 September, put the number of reported deaths from the ceasefire until 23 September at 1,402, according to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, in addition to 4,881 injured. OCHA continues to report attacks, casualties and severe humanitarian shortages.

When the Handala called in at Caleta de Vélez in 2024, that stopover was accompanied by activities in Torre del Mar, Vélez-Málaga, El Borge and other towns, as well as a march in which around 300 people took part.

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