All articles tagged with #global sumud flotilla
France barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering its territory after his taunting actions toward activists aboard the Global Sumud flotilla, prompting calls for EU sanctions though unanimity is required among member states; the move adds to a pattern of international responses to his rhetoric and actions.
France barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering French territory after a video surfaced showing him taunting activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla; the move followed international condemnation and calls for EU sanctions, as organizers allege sexual abuse of some freed detainees—claims Israel denies.
Jewish and Arab Israeli activists launched a smaller counter flotilla, the Hasbara flotilla, in Israeli waters off Herzliya to counter the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla. Led by Yoseph Haddad, they said the mission was to show the difference between them and the 'terror flotilla' and to safeguard Israel’s sovereignty; the ships stayed in Israeli waters for several hours before returning to port, while protesters waved signs mocking the GSF and Haddad accused the organizers of Hamas ties and Erdogan of supporting terror.
Turkish-led flotilla of 53 vessels organized by the IHH and part of the Global Sumud Flotilla is en route to Israel and expected to reach within 48 hours; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene an operational security meeting with senior defense officials to discuss the flotilla, which includes Hamas supporters and aims to breach the Gaza blockade. A parallel 30-vehicle Libyan land convoy is traveling to Gaza as part of the same effort; the Gaza Strip has been under Israeli blockade since 2023.
Israeli authorities plan to release two detained Global Sumud Flotilla activists, Thiago Avila and Saif Abu Keshek, from Shikma detention facility and hand them over to immigration authorities for deportation; Adalah says they were unlawfully held in isolation and on hunger strike, and argues the detention raises international-law concerns due to the flotilla vessel flying an Italian flag.
Four Humboldt County volunteers sailed with the Global Sumud Flotilla toward Gaza. In a nighttime interception off Crete, the Israeli navy seized 22 boats, drawing criticism that the actions violated international maritime law. Humboldt participant Silas Beaver was detained and later released in Turkey after describing being held at gunpoint and witnessing injuries; two steering-committee members, Thiago Ávila and Saif Abukeshek, remain in Israeli custody on hunger strike. Other Humboldt sailors, Sacha Marini and Greg Terry, sheltered in Greek waters as the flotilla presses on. About 180 people were detained with several hospitalized; 47 of the flotilla’s boats remained at sea and 51 were sailing in real time, as protests and international condemnation mounted, with Spain, Turkey, and the UN among those criticizing the interception. The flotilla maintains its humanitarian aim, insisting it is independent of governments and continuing toward Gaza.
Israeli authorities have brought two Gaza-bound flotilla activists to Israel for questioning after their interception near Crete as part of efforts to break Gaza's maritime blockade. The two men, Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila, are steering-committee members of the Global Sumud Flotilla and were aboard Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise during the attempt to reach Gaza.
Israel said it seized control of more than 20 boats carrying about 175 activists and intercepted 22 vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla near Crete as part of enforcing Gaza’s maritime blockade; 36 vessels remain at sea. Flotilla organizers denounced the action as a violent raid in international waters, while Greece and Italy prepared to coordinate transfers of detainees and international reactions from Turkey, the UN and others highlighted humanitarian concerns amid the Gaza crisis.
Defense Minister Israel Katz says Section 56(b) of the Counterterrorism Law authorizes seizure of ships and property tied to Hamas or other serious terror offenses to thwart their activities as the Global Sumud Flotilla sails toward Gaza; he notes sanctions on its fundraising, argues the voyage violates UN Resolution 2803 and undermines regional stability, and mentions U.S. involvement in the sanctions and activists aboard the flotilla.
Four Humboldt County residents—Windfield and Silas Beaver, Sacha Marini, and Greg Terry—are among roughly 3,000 participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest civilian mission to Gaza, departing from Siracusa, Sicily. The spring 2026 flotilla seeks to establish a sustained civilian maritime corridor, deliver humanitarian aid, and pressure Israel’s blockade, with delegations from 39 countries and a parallel Brussels Sumud Parliamentary Congress. Vessel positions can be tracked at flotillatracker.org, and donations are invited to cover legal costs for detained participants.
Activists aboard a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid departed from Barcelona as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, marking a symbolic send-off for Gaza relief and signaling international support for delivering supplies to Palestinians in Gaza.