Pro-Palestinian activists said Tuesday they would send ships this year to the Gaza Strip to try to breach Israel's naval blockade, repeating an action that four years ago ended with Israeli marines boarding a vessel and killing nine Turks.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, made up of 10 rights groups from 10 countries, did not specify how many ships would sail or when. Israel views the Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), a leading participant, as a terrorist group.

"It is the responsibility of civil society to challenge this blockade . . . We plan to sail to Gaza during 2014," said Ann Ighe, a Swedish spokeswoman for the coalition, after a meeting in Istanbul of pro-Palestinian activists from 10 countries.