Attacks and incitement against the Global Sumud Flotilla

The Global Sumud Flotilla is the largest international civil attempt since 2010’s “Freedom Flotilla” to challenge the Gaza blockade. It's a a civil, non-violent flotilla initiative launched in mid-2025 to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, deliver humanitarian aid, and open a solidarity corridor. It's organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Global Movement to Gaza, Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, and Sumud Nusantara in order to unite Western activists and Arab/Muslim solidarity movements. Despite harassment, Israeli attacks, and political pressure, the flotilla has drawn major global attention to Gaza’s isolation.

“Sumud” means steadfastness in Arabic.

The activists, doctors, artists, and volunteers comes from ~44 countries. With notable figures: Greta Thunberg, Spanish politician Ada Colau, and activists from the Arab world.

Different departure: from late August (31 in Barcelona) to current September 2025 from Genoa, Catania, Syros (Greece), Tunis, Lisbon. The flotilla planned to converge in the eastern Mediterranean en route to Gaza.

Previous attempts to break the siege by sea

Israeli attacks and undetermined incidents

Drone attacks, explosions, GPS jamming reported during the journey (no casualties).

Some vessels delayed or blocked by authorities citing “security risks” and rough seas.

Israeli smear campaigns accused flotilla of aiding Hamas — organizers deny this.

International responses

09 September 2025, UN experts, including Franceska Alabanese, stand in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla, demand full protection of all passengers, urging Israel to cease all threats of harm against the Global Sumud Flotilla and ensure it proceeds unhindered in its mission to deliver humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza: “Any attempt to block the flotilla would constitute a grave violation of international law and humanitarian principles,” the experts said.

Belgium and other governments demanded a transparent investigation into attacks on the flotilla. Turkey, Arab states, and NGOs called for respect of international law and safety of civilian ships.

Western coverage often emphasizes “risk and danger,” while Arab press frames it as resistance to the blockade and a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians.

On September 24, Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto strongly condemned the overnight drone attack on the flotilla, which is trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. In a statement, Crosetto said he had redirected an Italian navy ship to head towards the flotilla to offer assistance to Italian citizens on board - and Israel had been informed : "Regarding the attack suffered in recent hours by the Sumud Flotilla vessels, which also include Italian citizens, carried out using drones by currently unidentified perpetrators, we can only express the strongest condemnation. In a democracy, even demonstrations and protests must be protected when they are conducted in compliance with international law and without resorting to violence,” (...) “To ensure assistance to the Italian citizens on the ‘Flotilla,’ this morning at 3:50 a.m … I spoke with the Prime Minister and authorized the immediate intervention of the Italian Navy's multi-purpose frigate Fasan, which was sailing north of Crete as part of Operation Mare Sicuro. The frigate is already en route to the area for possible rescue operations. The Israeli Military Attaché in Italy, our Ambassador and the Military Attaché in Tel Aviv, and the Crisis Unit of the Farnesina have been informed of this decision.”

On September 29, Turkiye joined Spain, Italy and Greece in monitoring the Global Sumud Flotilla, flight data shows. Flight tracking websites showed that three long-endurance drones originating from Turkiye’s Corlu airbase have been circling over the flotilla for three days.

On october 3, 2025, Two French lawyers, including Raphaël Kempf, lawyer for French nationals aboard the flotilla to Gaza, announces legal action. They state they will file a complaint in France for the harm caused by Israel against its nationals (33), whose boat was illegally boarded and seized, who were abducted and unlawfully detained. They will also request that France join the complaint before the ICJ for the obstruction of humanitarian aid.

Timeline of the incidents:

Aug 30, 2025: Italian convoy departs from Genoa.

Aug 31, 2025: Spanish convoy leaves from Barcelona. Forced back to port due to bad weather.

Sept 1, 2025: New attempt to sail from Barcelona after interruption by storms.

Sept 5, 2025: French actress Adèle Haenel joins the flotilla from Tunis. Tunisian departure delayed.

Sept 7–10, 2025: Multiple delays from Tunisian ports (Bizerte, Sidi Bou Said) due to weather and logistics. Tunisian authorities delay departures citing “security reasons.” Some activists accuse Israel of pressure.

September 8, 2025: The lead vessel, Familia Madeira, carrying activists including Greta Thunberg, Ada Colau, and Thiago Ávila, is reportedly attacked by a drone dropping an incendiary device near the port of Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia. The fire is extinguished without injuries.

**September 10, 2025: **Another vessel in the flotilla is targeted by a drone attack in the same area, but no injuries are reported.

Sept 24, 2025: Drones and GPS jamming attack several flotilla vessels south of Greece. At least 13 explosions reported near the boats. Sept 24, 2025 Drone & GPS jamming attack south of Greece At least 13 explosions near flotilla vessels, drones overhead, communication systems disrupted.One Activist injured by chemical agent dropped on his vessel is hospitalized in Greece.

Sept 26–27, 2025: Mechanical failure lead ship suffers engine breakdown in Crete, delaying final departure toward Gaza. Activists call it “sabotage.”

Sept 26–28, 2025: Italy and Spain dispatch naval vessels for protection.

Sept 30, 2025: Turkey dispatched a naval vessel for protection. An Italian military vessel and the Italian government urged the Flotilla to abandon the mission, stating that the vessel would not enter Palestinian territorial waters. The GSF released a statement about this withdrawal.

Oct 1st, 2025: In the night 2 vessels faced intimidation: an Israeli military vessel circled the Alma and Sirius boats, launched a cyber attack, which created a lot of damage to equipements.

Until October 1, the vessels intercepted by the Israeli forces in International waters are:

On October 2 in the evening, the only vessel that reached the Palestinian territorial waters, the Mikeno, was finally intercepted y Israely Navy, at only 9 miles from the beaches of Gaza.

Oct 3th, 2025: the last vessel, the Marinette, vas intercepted by Israeli Navy in the international waters.

On 1st Oct 2025

1. Sirius — 19:31 UTC
2. Alma — 19:32 UTC
3. Adara — 19:54 UTC
4. Spectre — 20:06 UTC
5. Yulara — 20:30 UTC
6. Aurora — 20:50 UTC
7. Dir Yassine (Mali) — 21:14 UTC
8. Huga — 21:14 UTC
9. Grande Blu — 23:02 UTC

On 2 Oct 2025

10. Otaria — 00:40 UTC
11. Morgana — 00:40 UTC
12. Hio — 00:41 UTC
13. Seulle — 00:50 UTC
14. Jeannot — 01:31 UTC
15. Mohammad Bhar — 03:20 UTC
16. Oxygono — 04:23 UTC
17. Karma — 04:54 UTC
18. All-In — 04:59 UTC
19. Florida — 05:02 UTC
20. Captain Nikos — 05:22 UTC

Israeli (and allies) incitement campaign against GSF

Ongoing (Sept 2025) Smear campaign Israeli officials accuse flotilla of aiding Hamas; organizers deny, insisting on humanitarian purpose. Elaph, Mada Masr

1. On September 29, Turkish filmmaker Necmi Sancak says his debut feature Ayse was pulled from theatrical release in Turkiye after he joined the Global Sumud Flotilla in protesting Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

2. On September 30, the X account of Israel Foreign Ministry released a framing reflects Israeli hasbara (propaganda) intended to delegitimize the Global Sumud Flotilla and justify future measures against it. Exposed (according to Israeli sources): Official Hamas documents allegedly found in the Gaza Strip — and revealed for the first time — are claimed to prove Hamas’s direct involvement in the funding and execution of the “Sumud” flotilla to Gaza. According to this narrative, the documents show links between flotilla leaders and the Hamas-aligned PCPA (Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad), which Israel designated as a terrorist organization in 2021. One document is described as a 2021 letter from Ismail Haniyeh endorsing the PCPA, while another allegedly lists PCPA operatives such as Zaher Birawi (UK) and Saif Abu Kashk (Spain). Israeli reports further claim that Abu Kashk, CEO of a Spanish company called Cyber Neptune, controls ships participating in the flotilla, presenting them as effectively owned by Hamas.

The statement and attached pictures and documents were denounced by Muhammed Shehada (@muhammadshehad2), from the Middle East Human Rights Monitor, Post "Israel's gov is putting a target on the back of @GretaThunberg; labelling her & the entire flotilla as "Hamas" ahead of the flotilla's imminent arrival to Gaza's sea space.Today, every single Israeli newspaper has published this faked doc to preempt Israel's planned attack on the ships.Reminder: Israel published 2 similar "Hamas documents" last year in Bild & the Jewish Chronicle only for us to learn that both documents were total fakes! Israel similarly published fake "Hamas documents" ahead of the assassination of Anas al-Sharif, Mahmoud Shabat & other journalists!"

3. On October 4, while 328 activists remain in detention in the Prison fo Ketziot, Itamar Ben Gvir proudly admits on his Facebook account that the flotilla activists have been abused in Israel's Ketziot Concentration Camp.

Full translation: "This morning I see the claims in the world media about the conditions in which Greta Thunberg and the "flotilla activists" were imprisoned - and it is important for me to say it very clearly: I am proud of the Prison Service fighters who acted in accordance with the policy that Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi and I outlined. I was there, on their ships - I saw neither aid nor humanitarians. I saw one baby formula and a big festival of people who masquerade as human rights activists, and in reality came to support terrorism and have fun at our expense. I came to visit Ketziot prison, and I was proud that we treat the "flotilla activists" as supporters of terrorism, anyone who supports terrorism is a terrorist, and deserves the conditions of terrorists. If any of them thought they would come here and receive a red carpet and trumpets - they were mistaken. They should get a good feel of the conditions in Ketziot prison, and think twice before they approach Israel again. That's how it works."

Verified Participants

Greta Thunberg – Swedish climate activist, Ada Colau – Former mayor of Barcelona, Spain, Adèle Haenel – French actress, Liam Cunningham – Irish actor (Game of Thrones), Eduard Fernández – Spanish actor, Thiago Ávila – Brazilian activist, Yasemin Acar – Turkish-German activist, Robert Martin – Australian activist, Tony La Piccirella – Australian activist, Cele Fierro – U.S. activist, Sofia Aparício – Portuguese activist, Zwelivelile Mandela – South African activist, grandson of Nelson Mandela, Tadhg Hickey – Irish activist, Mariana Mortágua – Portuguese politician, Bruno Gilga – Brazilian activist, Phillip Tottenham – U.S. veteran, Veterans for Peace member, Bob Suberi – U.S. activist, Braedon Peluso – U.S. activist, Alexis Deswaef – Belgian activist, Bénédicte Linard – Belgian politician, Enissa Amani – German-Iranian actress

Global Sumud Flotilla – Steering Committee

1. Kleoniki Alexopoulou (Greece / Global Movement to Gaza) – Historian and activist in leftist and humanitarian initiatives, involved in pro-Palestinian solidarity in US campuses.
2. Yasemin Acar (Turkey–Germany / Freedom Flotilla Coalition) – Human rights organizer, co-founded Berlin Arrival Support, longtime Palestine solidarity activist, crew member of the Madleen.
3. Thiago Ávila (Brazil / Freedom Flotilla Coalition) – Socio-environmentalist, communicator, veteran solidarity activist; imprisoned and deported after the Madleen mission.
4. Maria Elena Delia (Italy / Global Movement to Gaza & Freedom Flotilla) – Physicist and humanitarian, founding member of Free Gaza Movement, board member of Vittorio Arrigoni Foundation.
5. Saif Abukeshek (Palestine–Spain / Global Movement to Gaza) – Palestinian activist in Barcelona, organizer in European solidarity networks, chair of the Global Coalition Against the Occupation.
6. Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri (Malaysia / Cinta Gaza Malaysia) – Humanitarian leader, raised over $20M for Gaza, founder of CGM, prominent public voice with 500k followers.
7. Marouan Ben Guettaia (Algeria / Jil Tarjih Leadership Academy) – Political activist and trainer, mobilizes Maghreb civil society for Palestine, member of Sumud Convoy.
8. Wael Nawar (Tunisia / Sumud Convoy) – Former student union leader, ex-political prisoner, veteran activist, co-founder of Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine.
9. Hayfa Mansouri (Tunisia / Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine) – Sociologist and activist, involved in boycott campaigns and civil society coalitions for Palestine.
10. Torkia Chaibi (Tunisia / Million Rural Women and the Landless, La Via Campesina) – Peasant movement leader since 1985, represents rural women and La Via Campesina on the flotilla steering committee.

Human right violation against crew's members:

1. Pro-Palestine advocate Ayman Al-Bubhiri, who joined the Global Sumud Flotilla, has stepped back from the journey and was moved to a hospital in Greece after medical tests revealed he had inhaled toxic chemicals, along with other supporters. He was trying to document the Israeli attack on the fleet, which was carried out in an attempt to stop it from sailing and ultimately breaking the blockade on the Gaza Strip.
2. 4 Italian ativists abducted by Israeli Navy was reported mistreated during their detention.
3. On October 2, Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir has filmed himself visiting the captured members of the Gaza flotilla and deriding them as "terrorists". Footage released on X showed Ben Gvir in the detention centre where the members of the Global Sumud Flotilla were being held following their capture in international waters off the coast of Gaza, verbally assaulted them. "There are the flotilla terrorists, they are terrorists," "Look at them, supporters of murderers. By the way, in their ships it was a total mess. They didn't really come, not for the flotilla, not to help." Some of the flotilla's activists can be heard chanting "Free Palestine" as they sit together on the ground.
4. Acording to Adalah (Palestinian legal Human Rights ONG) Israeli authorities began deportation proceedings for activists on board without allowing them to receive legal advice, the legal and human rights organisation Adalah said. "These proceedings were initiated without prior notice to their lawyers and while denying participants access to legal counsel," the group said. "This constitutes a grave violation of due process and a denial of the participants’ fundamental rights. Adalah will continue to seek access and will take legal action as necessary."
5. Itamar Ben Gvir published a footage of himself presenting the Ketziot Prison as the detention center where the abducted women activist are detained: “We are at Ketziot Prison, & as I promised, the women who support terrorism are here. There are no games here, they (flotilla members) receive the same conditions as terrorists.” He proudly shows off the high-security facility where Palestinian prisoners are held in cells, making clear the flotilla activists, including parliamentarians & journalists, will be treated the same way.
6. A plane carrying 137 activists from the flotilla, including 36 Turkish citizens, landed in Istanbul On October 4. A Turkish activist, Ersin Celik, described shocking abuse against climate campaigner Greta Thunberg during Israel’s raid on the Global Sumud Flotilla. “They dragged little Greta by her hair before our eyes, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did everything imaginable to her, as a warning to others,” Deported to Turkey hold American, Italian, British, Jordanian, Kuwaiti, Libyan, Algerian, Mauritanian, Malaysian, Bahraini, Turkish, Moroccan, Swiss, and Tunisian nationalities.
7. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) prepared redacted summaries after meeting Australians detainees: Australian detainees held by Israel after attempting to breach the Gaza blockade have alleged serious mistreatment. According to diplomatic reports, they described being beaten, deprived of sleep, humiliated, and having their medication confiscated. One detainee claimed he was slapped, had his arm dislocated, and his head slammed into the ground, while another said she was sprayed with a water cannon and left soaked for hours without ventilation or clean water. Several reported being confined in large cages as Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shouted abuse and called them “terrorists.” Others alleged being forced to “dance like a monkey,” having their passports destroyed, and being made to watch videos of Hamas’s October 7 attacks played repeatedly at high volume.
8. Saverio Tommasi, an Italian journalist, described being beaten repeatedly upon arrival, with blows to his back and head. He noted that Israeli soldiers laughed during the abuse and punished detainees who failed to keep their eyes down by hitting them.
9. Ada Colau, the mayor of Barcelona, reported that when detainees requested medical attention, they were told, "that was for humans."
10. Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental activist, was reportedly subjected to unsanitary conditions, including being held in a bedbug-infested cell. Eyewitnesses claimed she was dragged by her hair, hit, and made to kiss or be wrapped in the Israeli flag, allegedly to humiliate her publicly.
11. Unnamed detainees, including parliamentarians and lawyers, reported being deprived of sleep and medication, having automatic rifles pointed at them, being threatened with dogs, forced to sleep on the floor, subjected to insults, and made to watch footage of the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.
12. David Adler, US Jewish activist,said the naval interception had been violent, that an Israeli barge had fired water cannons at the flotilla, tried to ram them and that in the end Israel had stolen all the ships. Taken in international waters, the activists were abducted and brought to the Israeli port of Ashdod: "From the first moment we stepped onto that tarmac after interception, we were violently forced onto our knees into positions of submission," He said that once in positions of submission in the detention centre at Ashdod, he and the other Jewish member of the flotilla "were taken by the ear and ripped from the group for a photo op with Ben Gvir staring at the flag of the state of Israel", "our belongings and boats were stolen from us". Before they left Ashdod, he said that the activists were "stripped, zip-tied, blindfolded and sent to an internment camp in a police van without any access to food, to water or to legal support". Over the next five days, he said the group was "psychologically tortured" at Keziot Prison in the Negev desert. If a detainee made a request for necessities such as insulin for the treatment of diabetes, they were "taken individually out of their cells and regularly beaten, handcuffed and ankle cuffed and left in solitary confinement". The flotilla activist said that in the prison, which is close to the border with Egypt, detainees could hear Israeli F-16s and F-35s travelling overhead every night "going to bomb Gaza, with the sound of German Shepherd dogs around us". "Riot groups would come to our cells with tear gas, and riot gear and German Shepherds that would come and seek to terrify and terrorise us,".