A flotilla of two vessels called the 'women's boat to Gaza' left Barcelona for the troubled territory on Wednesday as part of an effort to find a way through the Israel-imposed blockade. The boats are part of a larger movement called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which sends "pro-Palestinian boats to Gaza" from all over the world, AFP reported. None of the coalition's efforts have succeeded, and many of its members have been arrested by Israeli authorities.

The Gaza Strip, located between Israel and Egypt, has been a bone of contention in the Israel-Palestinian conflict for years. Co-organiser of the mission, Zohar Chamberlain Regev said, "We are carrying food and medicine on the boat that will be distributed to Gazans upon arrival. But mainly we are carrying a message of hope and solidarity, because we think Gazans want that most of all," Al Jazeera reported. Women from several countries, including the United States of America, Norway, South Africa and Malaysia are part of this endeavour that protests the blockade that affects the movement of 1.9 million Palestinians living in the region, AFP reported.

Chamberlain said, "We think that through this act, organised by women, we can give more visibility to the important role of Palestinian women in the fight for freedom." Chamberlain, an Israeli living in Spain, said it was her "double duty" to protest the blockade imposed on Gaza, controlled by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in 2006. She said, "It doesn't only make Palestinians suffer, it corrupts the souls of Israelis as one can't remain human if one treats our Palestinian brothers as if they weren't our brothers."

Israeli officials said the restrictions are required to stop the supply of arms to Hamas. International organisations, including the World Bank and United Nations, have come down strongly against the blockade, which they say has severely damaged the coastal enclave's economy.

A similar flotilla operation to break through the blockade ended tragically when Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists in a raid in 2010.