The severe winds and unpredictable nature of the Mediterranean make organisers decide to turn around and set sail later.
The Global Sumud Flotilla carrying aid to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip has been forced to turn back due to poor weather, according to a statement by the group and sources travelling with the mission.
The flotilla said on X that strong winds on Sunday of more than 30 knots (55.6 kilometres per hour, or 34.5 miles per hour) on the Mediterranean Sea could have posed a problem for smaller boats in the convoy.
“The decision was made by the [flotilla] steering commission … to turn back towards Barcelona’s La Vela port, where they arrived after 22:00 (10pm, or 20:00 GMT),” Al Jazeera’s Mauricio Morales said while reporting from the Familia, part of the flotilla.
The decision to turn back was taken about three hours earlier, Morales added.
