The boats carrying former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau and activist Greta Thunberg were among those forced to turn back. Organizers are expected to decide in the coming hours whether to resume the journey to Gaza today or wait for better weather conditions.

Comprising about 20 boats with humanitarian aid, the flotilla that set out from Barcelona is described by its organizers as the largest civilian flotilla ever aiming to provide aid to Gazans and challenge Israel's international legitimacy, despite Israel already delivering humanitarian relief and willing to help bring any cargo through the normal procedures and through Israeli ports.

Hundreds of individuals from dozens of countries are participating in the flotilla, distributed across the boats. Additional boats are expected to depart from other European ports in the coming days, with the goal of arriving together in large numbers to complicate Israel's efforts to intercept them.

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Aquativism? Thousands of Barcelona residents took to the streets this weekend to protest against what they perceive as overtourism in their city. "The demonstrations, involving about 2,800 participants, featured protesters using water pistols to spray visitors and drive them from outdoor dining areas.

Video footage shared by The Telegraph shows bewildered tourists hastily packing their belongings and leaving restaurant tables as protesters approached, wielding water pistols and chanting anti-tourism slogans. Demonstrators carried signs with messages such as "Tourists go home," "Barcelona not for sale," and "My city's not your fun park." A massive banner reading "Decrease tourism now!" and "Mass tourism kills the city" was also visible, along with some protesters carrying Palestinian flags, likely drawing a parallel between the impact of overtourism and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The protests come as Barcelona officials announce a second increase this year to the daily tourist charge. Starting in October, visitors will be required to pay a flat rate of €4 ($4.35) per night for up to seven nights, up from the current €3.25 ($3.53) implemented in April. This fee is in addition to a regional tourist tax, which varies based on accommodation type.

"We aim to promote quality tourism," said a city council spokesperson, explaining the rationale behind the tax increase. 

The demonstrators are calling for a fundamental shift in Barcelona's economic strategy to both reduce the annual influx of visitors and tackle the city's rising cost of living. Over the past decade, rental prices in the popular Spanish destination have surged by 68%, while property purchase costs have increased by 38%.

Recently, Barcelona's Mayor Jaume Collboni announced a bold plan to prohibit tourists from renting vacation apartments by 2028. As Spain's top destination for international tourists, the city aims to implement measures to curb escalating housing expenses and enhance residents' quality of life.

Mayor Collboni stated that Barcelona will revoke the licenses of all 10,101 currently approved short-term rental properties by November 2028. At a city government event, he emphasized, "We're addressing what we consider to be Barcelona's most pressing issue."

Tourism in Barcelona has seen a significant uptick, with over 12 million visitors in 2023 alone – a 7% increase compared to four years ago. While the tourist tax currently generates about €95 million ($103 million) annually, Catalan News reports that approximately €142 million ($154 million) is spent on tourist-related expenses such as cleaning, security, and additional transportation.

Tensions have continued to rise across Spain, as evidenced by the recent protest in Malaga at the end of June, with over 10,000 demonstrators rallying against the high cost of living, echoing similar concerns to those voiced in Barcelona.

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The owner of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer club said Thursday that he called off a friendly match with international powerhouse Barcelona over its refusal to hold the event in Jerusalem.

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Beitar Jerusalem owner Moshe Hogeg said he was forced to cancel the planned Aug. 4 match "with great sadness" because he refused to give in to a "political" demand.

"After I received the contract to sign and discovered the unequivocal demand that the game not take place in the capital city, Jerusalem, and several other demands that I didn't like, I slept with a heavy heart, thought a lot, and decided that above all else I am a proud Jew and Israeli," Hogeg wrote on Facebook. "I cannot betray Jerusalem."

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion expressed support for the decision, saying teams that intend to boycott Jerusalem should be barred from Israel altogether.

"Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Israel, and the decision to boycott it is not a professional, sporting, or educational decision," he said in a statement.

Barcelona said it never officially announced the match would take place.

Beitar Jerusalem is the only major Israeli soccer club to have never signed an Arab player, and its hard-core fans have a history of racist chants.

During the team's 2013 season, a move to bring in two Muslim players from Chechnya badly misfired. Beitar's fan group known as La Familia led a boycott that famously left the stadium empty during a home match, and several fans were charged with torching the team's offices while the club was nearly relegated to the second division as its season fell apart.

Hogeg, who purchased the team in 2018, has vowed to combat racism and sideline the club's anti-Arab fans.

Plans for an Emirati sheikh to purchase a 50% ownership stake in Israel's famed and controversial Beitar Jerusalem soccer club have been put on hold, the team said Thursday, following reports questioning the sheikh's finances.

The team had said Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family, has pledged to invest 300 million shekels, or about $90 million, in the club over the next decade.

Earlier this month the Palestinian Football Association sent a letter of protest to Barcelona over the planned game in Jerusalem.

Balad MK Sami Abou Shehadeh had also petitioned Barcelona to cancel the game, saying Beitar "represents the most extremist, racist, and fascist segments of Israeli society." Palestinian soccer clubs had also written to Barcelona urging it not to play in Jerusalem.

Argentina cancelled a World Cup warmup match with Israel in 2018 following pro-Palestinian protests. Some Israeli officials accused Lionel Messi and his teammates of caving to terrorism.

The international soccer federation later imposed a year-long ban on Jibril Rajoub, the head of Palestinian soccer, for allegedly inciting fans against Argentina. Rajoub called the ban biased and "absurd."

FIFA said Rajoub had "incited hatred and violence" by calling on soccer fans to target the Argentinian Football Association and burn jerseys and pictures of Lionel Messi.

Argentina Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie said at the time players felt "totally attacked, violated" after images emerged of the team's white and sky-blue striped jerseys stained with red paint resembling blood.

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