Samud Flotilla "sailor" explains: Here's how we will break the siege | WATCH
A new aid flotilla, organized by several international groups, is sailing towards Gaza carrying humanitarian supplies. Why it feels it will succeed is beyond me.
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A fleet of over 50 vessels, carrying hundreds of activists from 44 countries, is navigating the Mediterranean, bound for Gaza in a bold (stupid) attempt to break Israel’s naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid. Dubbed the Global Sumud Flotilla, named after the Arabic word for “steadfastness,” this mission, launched on August 31 from Barcelona, is the largest civilian-led flotilla ever organized to challenge the 18-year blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza. Among the passengers are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, and German human rights activist Yasemin Acar, who told supporters, “The possibility of us breaking the siege is very, very high.”
The flotilla, coordinated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), Global Movement to Gaza, Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, and Sumud Nusantara, carries food, medicine, and baby formula to address Gaza’s escalating humanitarian crisis. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification declared a famine in Gaza in August 2025, with over 64,200 Palestinian deaths reported since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities. Organizers, including Acar, a member of the flotilla’s steering committee, argue that Israel’s restrictions on land-based aid routes have made maritime missions critical. “We are unarmed, peaceful, and carrying only humanitarian supplies for a starving population,” Acar said in a video posted to Instagram.
The flotilla’s journey has not been smooth. High winds exceeding 30 knots forced some vessels to return to Barcelona on September 1, delaying a planned rendezvous with Tunisian boats until September 7. Mechanical issues, seasickness, and water leaks have plagued smaller vessels, with repairs ongoing in Menorca, Mallorca, and Barcelona. Unidentified drones trailing the fleet in international waters have heightened tensions, recalling an earlier FFC vessel, *Conscience*, damaged by a drone off Malta in May 2025, an attack organizers attributed to Israel, though no official comment was made.
Israel has vowed to intercept the flotilla, as it did with the FFC’s *Madleen* yacht in June 2025, when Thunberg and 11 others were detained in international waters and deported from Ashdod. Defense Minister Israel Katz called the mission a “hate flotilla,” accusing participants of supporting Hamas propaganda. The Meir Amit Intelligence Center alleges ties between some organizers, like Zaher Birawi, and Hamas, a claim the flotilla rejects, emphasizing its "independence and nonviolent stance". Participants, trained in nonviolence, aim to establish a “people’s humanitarian corridor” and challenge the blockade’s legality under international maritime law.
The flotilla’s high-profile roster, including Portuguese MP Mariana Mortágua and Italian MEPs Annalisa Corrado and Benedetta Scuderi, has drawn global attention. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and Colombian President Gustavo Petro have voiced support, while over 100 lawmakers and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese have backed the mission. A 40,000-strong protest in Genoa on August 30 underscored the flotilla’s resonance, amplifying calls to end what organizers term a “genocide” in Gaza, a characterization Israel rejects, citing its efforts to facilitate aid through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
With the fleet expected to near Gaza by mid-September, the IDF’s response remains a looming question. Historical precedent, including the deadly 2010 *Mavi Marmara* raid, suggests interception is likely, but the flotilla’s scale and international backing may complicate Israel’s calculus. For now, the Global Sumud Flotilla sails on, a bunch of entitled wannabes far, far from home.