NICOSIA, Cyprus - Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists on Sunday set sail for the Gaza Strip from international waters off the coast of Cyprus, edging closer to an expected naval showdown with Israeli gunships determined to stop them.

Huwaida Arraf, one of the organizers, said the six-ship flotilla began the journey toward Gaza on Sunday afternoon after two days of delays. She said they expected to reach Gaza, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) away, on Monday afternoon, and that two more ships expected to follow in "a second wave".

She said the flotilla was "fully prepared for the different scenarios" that might arise, and that organizers were hopeful that Israeli authorities would "do what's right" and not stop the convoy.