The Global Sumud Flotilla says its fleet has sailed into the ‘high-risk zone’, where the Israeli navy is believed to have formed a blockade to try to stop the fleet from reaching Gaza.
Published On 1 Oct 20251 Oct 2025
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Activists on the Global Sumud Flotilla shared a video they said showed Israeli vessels approaching the fleet to intercept it before reaching Gaza. Such interceptions by Israeli forces in international waters are considered illegal.
Published On 1 Oct 20251 Oct 2025
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Israel has intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, which had been attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, and had garnered global attention as one of the biggest naval aid missions to the Palestinian enclave.
The Global Sumud Flotilla – carrying more than 40 civilian boats and about 500 activists – was boarded by Israeli forces late on Wednesday, with activists on board detained and taken to Israel.
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Israel had previously said that it would do whatever it takes to stop the Gaza-bound flotilla, claiming the volunteers were trying to “breach a lawful naval blockade” – a claim that goes against international law.
Israel has blockaded Gaza to varying degrees since Hamas took control of the Strip in 2007. Gaza’s residents have largely been trapped in the territory since then, with the entry of food, goods and aid strictly controlled by Israel.
Here is what to know.
Israel intercepted boats from the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid, according to statements by the flotilla organisers.
Organisers reported that naval forces boarded vessels about 70 nautical miles (130km) offshore Gaza, cutting communications and jamming signals as the flotilla approached the blockaded enclave.
SHIPS INTERCEPTED AND CAPTURED:
ALMA, ADARA, SIRIUS.
THE REST ARE STILL SAILING. 40 NAUTICAL MILES OFF THE GAZA COAST.
— Global Sumud Flotilla ✨ (@GSMFlotilla) October 1, 2025
Earlier in the day, activists described shadowy encounters with unlit boats and drones tailing the convoy, heightening tensions on board.
“On Wednesday … at around 8:30 pm (17:30 GMT), multiple vessels of Global Sumud Flotilla – notably Alma, Surius, Adara – were illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli Occupation Forces in international waters,” a flotilla statement said.
“Prior to illegally boarding the ships, it appears as though the Israeli naval vessels intentionally damaged ship communications, in an attempt to block distress signals and stop the livestream of their illegal boat boarding.”
Despite carrying only a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, the flotilla had pressed forward with its mission to establish a maritime corridor into Gaza, where nearly two years of Israel’s war have left the population facing an acute humanitarian crisis.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a video showing a woman in military uniform speaking by phone, introducing herself as a representative of the Israeli navy.
In the call, she warns the flotilla that it is nearing a restricted, blockaded area and explains that any aid for Gaza must be sent “through the established channels”.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also said that activists on board the Gaza aid flotilla will be deported once the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur concludes on Thursday.
“According to Israeli media, six boats have been intercepted so far, among them the vessel Alma. Reports suggest more interceptions are expected,” Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Doha, said.
“Israeli soldiers have boarded the ships and detained many of the activists on board. Those detained would normally go through a legal process, but Israel is currently under near-total shutdown because of the Yom Kippur holiday,” she added.
“That means courts and prisons are not functioning, creating a limbo for the activists if they are detained.”
We will not allow any PR stunt approaching an active war zone to violate our sovereignty. Those who tried to enter Israeli territory illegally will be deported immediately after Yom Kippur in Israel. Israel has repeatedly offered ways to peacefully deliver aid to Gaza, but this… pic.twitter.com/JVZldN0kYb
— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) October 1, 2025
Since 2009, Israel has formally enforced a naval blockade it says is necessary to prevent weapons from being smuggled in. Authorities have also alleged that some flotilla organisers are connected to Hamas, a claim the activists strongly reject as unfounded.
Vessels and convoys have attempted to break the blockade of Gaza since 2010.
A few key examples include:
2010 – The Mavi Marmara incident: The most infamous case, when Israeli commandos boarded the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Clashes broke out, and 10 activists were killed as a result, drawing global condemnation and straining Israel–Turkiye relations.
Israel apologised for “operational mistakes” in the raid in 2013. A compensation deal is still being negotiated between the two countries. Israeli soldiers and officials who took part in the attack are being tried in absentia in Turkiye for war crimes.
2011–2018 – Smaller flotillas stopped: Several subsequent flotillas, including vessels in 2011, 2015, and 2018. Israel typically diverted the ships to Ashdod port, detained activists, and confiscated cargo. In 2018, activists were arrested, and some reported they were tasered and beaten.
2024 – Flotilla attempts: Activist groups continued organising flotillas, but Israel either prevented them from leaving ports abroad or intercepted them before they could approach Gaza.
2025 – Several flotilla missions set sail to challenge Israel’s naval blockade.
One such mission in June involved the ship Madleen, which departed from Catania, Sicily, with food, medical supplies, baby formula, and other essential goods. It also carried activists, including Greta Thunberg.
In the early hours of June 9, Israeli naval forces intercepted and boarded the Madleen in international waters, using a chemical irritant spray, and then seized the vessel, detaining the 12 people on board. The activists were deported after being processed in Israel.
The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail in late August 2025, departing from ports in Spain and Italy before stopping in Greece and Tunisia as it made its way across the Mediterranean.
The mission began with more than 50 vessels representing at least 44 countries, carrying hundreds of international volunteers, activists, and lawmakers. Among them are 24 Americans, including several military veterans, according to the organisers.
On board were symbolic yet significant amounts of humanitarian cargo, including food, medical supplies, and other essentials for Gaza’s population.
Activists reported several hostile encounters at sea, including suspected drone attacks near Malta and Crete, which left some vessels damaged and forced to withdraw. By the time the flotilla neared the eastern Mediterranean, 44 ships remained in the convoy.
International attention grew as the flotilla pressed on. Spain and Italy both deployed naval vessels to monitor its progress and offer assistance if required, while governments across Europe and beyond urged restraint from all parties.
A Gaza-bound aid flotilla is currently sailing toward the enclave, entering a high-risk zone where previous missions have faced attacks and interceptions.
On Wednesday, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported that the Israeli military is preparing to “take control” of the flotilla with naval commandos and warships. Israel wont tow all 50 vessels however and will sink some at sea, Kan said.
Israel intends to detain hundreds of activists on naval ships, question them then deport them via the port of Ashdod.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Spain on August 31, is the largest maritime mission to Gaza to date. It brings together more than 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries, as part of an international effort to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and deliver aid to Gaza.
The map below shows the latest location:
So, is Israel entitled to board ships that are in international waters? The answer is no, here’s how territorial and international waters work.
Coastal countries control the waters closest to their shores, called territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles (22km) from the coast. In this zone, the state has full sovereignty, just like over its land.
Beyond that, they have rights over up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) of ocean, including the water and seafloor. This area is called the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In the EEZ, countries can regulate activities such as fishing, mining, drilling, and other energy projects, while still allowing other countries freedom of navigation.
France has the largest EEZ, covering approximately 10.7 million square kilometres (4.2 million sq miles), thanks to its overseas territories. It is followed by the US, Australia, Russia, and the UK.
Covering about 64 percent of the ocean, the high seas lie beyond any country’s territorial waters and economic zones and are not controlled by a single state, with their use governed by international agreements.
The laws of the high seas are governed by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It stipulates that all states can enjoy freedom of movement of ships in the high seas and aircraft can fly freely.
It also allows the laying of subsea cables and pipelines, as well as fishing, scientific research and the construction of islands. All three of which are subject to international agreements and laws.
Ships that are on the high seas are subject to the jurisdiction of the flag they fly, except those conducting piracy and other unauthorised activities.
Several Freedom Flotilla vessels have attempted to break the blockade of Gaza since 2010. All were intercepted or attacked by Israel, mostly in international waters where it has no territorial rights.
The most deadly occurred on May 31, 2010, when Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara in international waters. The commandos killed 10 activists, most of them Turkish, and injured dozens more, sparking global outrage and severely straining Israel-Turkiye relations.
The map below shows the approximate locations where prominent flotillas were stopped, some encountering deadly Israeli forces.
In 2024, amid ongoing flotilla missions delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, UN experts stated that: “The Freedom Flotilla has the right of free passage in international waters, and Israel must not interfere with its freedom of navigation, long recognised under international law.”
The Sumud Flotilla had been sailing through international waters and into Palestinian territorial waters, where it has the legal right to navigate and deliver humanitarian aid.
According to Stephen Cotton, the General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), representing more than 16.5 million transport workers globally, “The law of the sea is clear: attacking or seizing non-violent, humanitarian vessels in international waters is illegal and unacceptable.”
“Such actions endanger lives and undermine the basic principles that keep the seas safe for all. This is not only about seafarers, it’s about the safety of everyone at sea, whether on a commercial ship, a humanitarian vessel, or a fishing boat. States cannot pick and choose when to respect international law. The seas must not be turned into a theatre of war.” Cotton told Al Jazeera.
According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the mission is not only lawful but also protected under a comprehensive set of international legal instruments. Including:
Mediterranean Sea – Everyone gathered on the top deck of a Global Sumud Flotilla vessel loaded with humanitarian supplies for Gaza and volunteers determined to deliver it.
Security protocols in case of an emergency were reviewed and put into action: life vests, head counts and designated muster points.
They were training for scenarios that could occur on any vessel – fire, someone falling overboard, collision.
But this training was different because there was another scenario.
The volunteers were instructed on how to raise their hands in the event that Israeli soldiers intercepted the vessel, boarded it and detained them. The focus is on acting in a nonviolent way, in accordance with their mission.
The flotilla was approaching the “yellow zone” after it departed from Sicily, Italy – the zone in international waters between Italy and Cyprus where Israeli attacks are possible – and it was time to practise how to act if an attack occurred.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently described the humanitarian flotilla, which is sailing to break the Israeli siege on the people of Gaza, as a “jihadi flotilla” and claimed it has ties to Hamas.
The so-called “Flotilla to Gaza” is openly backed by jihadi Hamas.
In Hamas’s own words: “We call for mobilizing all means to support the Global Steadfastness Flotilla heading to Gaza.”
This is not humanitarian. This is a jihadist initiative serving the terror group’s agenda. pic.twitter.com/vciWdnTswC
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) September 18, 2025
Earlier this month, as the flotilla set sail from Spain, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced that he wanted to declare the humanitarian activists “terrorists” and detain them accordingly.
Flotilla steering committee member Saif Abukeshek, speaking to journalists online on Saturday, said such allegations are “psychological warfare” and added: “The propaganda is an old strategy.”
In the training, a coordinator tells the gathered group: “We have to decide collectively whether we will react or whether someone should intervene if soldiers begin to beat one of us.”
The question was met with silence but could not be avoided. Holding a bullhorn, the coordinator took the initiative.
“If I am dragged or beaten, I don’t want any of you to react or tell the soldiers to stop. Please respect my decision.”
The bullhorn was passed around. One by one, the volunteers repeated the words. By the third volunteer, the phrase had been reduced to two words: “the same”. All the volunteers echoed it.
The strategy was conceived to prevent further violence. Any reaction – even asking Israeli soldiers to stop – could provoke them to more violence.
One volunteer summed it up: “If you react or speak up while being beaten, you will not only put your own safety at risk but also that of the others – and you will break the will of the group.”
Another told Al Jazeera: “We know why we are here and the risks we have taken.”
The delays and challenges the flotilla has faced have taken a toll on its organisers and volunteers alike.
Drone attacks while at port in Tunisia, technical difficulties faced by boats ill-suited to the high seas and the general difficulties inherent in organising an underfunded civilian initiative to sail to Gaza have put pressure on everyone.
Every person on board also has to do a night watch, scanning the skies all night for more drone attacks while their companions rest.
When asked what keeps them going, each of them cites the urge to act to help the people of Gaza, who are suffering bombardments, starvation and loss as Israel wages war on them.
They know they are sailing into risky waters because Israel has intercepted all past flotillas, even killing 10 people on board the Mavi Marmara a decade ago.
The boats had set out for Sicily from Tunisia on Tuesday with a reduced number of people on board after hard decisions were made.
There were more people wanting to be on a flotilla boat than there was capacity on the vessels, especially as some boats failed technical inspections – the organisers worrying about their ability to cope with the unpredictable nature of the Mediterranean.
Lists were read in Bizerte, Tunisia. Crews were reshuffled among the boats, and tears flowed as volunteers who had forged strong emotional ties said their goodbyes.
Their part on board the mission was over for now, but their support for the flotilla bound for Gaza would continue on land.
Some talked to the coordinators to try to get their spots back. Others waited with their colleagues on the boats, helping out until they had to return to a hotel to await their flights back home.
“Please put this [Palestinian] flag somewhere on the boat. It has been in my friend’s window for years,” said Marcin, a Polish volunteer living in Norway who was among those cut from the crew list.
Eventually, everyone boarded their assigned ships and met their crews. All hands were on deck to clean and prepare the vessels for the next leg of the journey to Italy. Some of the volunteers have sailing experience, and others with no previous sailing experience learned quickly to help out.
After a few days in Italy, the boats have set out again, sailing through the yellow zone, getting ever closer to the red zone, where the danger multiplies 100 nautical miles (185km) from the Gaza shore.
And the drills continue.
The Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza has started sailing out of Tunisia. Al Jazeera’s Hassan Massoud is on board one of the vessels in the fleet aiming to challenge Israel’s blockade of the territory.
Published On 15 Sep 202515 Sep 2025
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Departure of the flotilla from Tunisia to Gaza was delayed due to logistical issues.
Published On 14 Sep 202514 Sep 2025
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The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has begun sailing out of Tunisia, with organisers and participants saying they are determined to break Israel’s siege on Gaza and deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid.
The convoy departed from the northern port city of Bizerte with activists from more than 40 countries aboard. Its departure was delayed after two flotilla vessels came under attack earlier this week.
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On Monday, the main ship Family was struck by a drone while docked in Sidi Bou Said, followed by an attack on the boat Alma on Tuesday night.
No casualties were reported in the attacks.
Al Jazeera’s Hassan Massoud, reporting from the Shireen Abu Akleh boat, said: “The global flotilla has set sail from the port in Tunisia to the Gaza Strip, its main destination, without any scheduled stops, 14 days after its departure from Barcelona.
“The ships are carrying food and humanitarian aid towards Gaza. Volunteers and participants have said this mission is non-violent; they only aim to open a corridor to deliver aid towards Palestinian people in Gaza.”
A number of prominent figures have joined the flotilla, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, and Barcelona’s former Mayor Ada Colau.
At least four Italian members of parliament are also taking part, alongside dozens of other elected officials and activists.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told parliament that Rome had urged Israel to respect the rights of its citizens aboard the flotilla, including parliamentarians.
“Our embassy in Tel Aviv, under my instruction, talked to the Israeli authorities about the respect of the rights for all the fellow citizens who are part of the flotilla, including among them several members of parliament,” Tajani said.
“I also called [Israeli] Foreign Minister [Gideon] Saar to personally make him aware of the matter.”
Tajani said 58 Italians are among the participants and would be provided consular and diplomatic assistance.
Organisers say the Global Sumud Flotilla, named after the Arabic word for “resilience”, represents one of the most determined challenges yet to Israel’s blockade of Gaza’s coastline.
The attempt comes as the United Nations warns that more than half a million Palestinians face catastrophic hunger, with aid groups and legal experts describing Israel’s war on Gaza as a genocide.
The attacks on the convoy follow previous incidents in which flotilla ships were intercepted or targeted at sea.
In early June, Israeli naval forces intercepted the aid vessel Madleen in international waters, seizing its aid cargo and detaining its crew of 12, while in May, another vessel, the Conscience, was hit by drones near Maltese waters, leaving it unable to continue.
Activists from 40 countries sail from Tunisia to defy Israel’s blockade and deliver aid to Gaza.
Published On 13 Sep 202513 Sep 2025
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An international convoy of boats, the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), has set sail from Tunisia, aiming to defy Israel’s siege on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.
The GSF, which departed Bizerte Port on Saturday, includes more than 40 vessels carrying between 500 and 700 activists from more than 40 countries, according to Anadolu.
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Participants say they are determined to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
Among those joining is Franco-Palestinian lawmaker Rima Hassan, a member of the French National Assembly, who announced her participation after boarding in Tunisia.
“Our governments are responsible for the continuation of the genocide in Gaza,” Hassan wrote on X, accusing European leaders of silence in the face of Israeli attacks on aid convoys. In June, she joined another Gaza-bound boat that Israeli forces seized in international waters.
he flotilla is supported by prominent activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who has long been vilified by Israeli officials for her solidarity with Palestinians.
The flotilla reported this week that two of its ships – the Family, which had members of the steering committee on board, and the Alma – were attacked while anchored near Tunis.
Activists suspect Israeli involvement, noting that one of the vessels was struck by a drone.
Tunisia’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed a “premeditated aggression” and said an investigation had been launched.
Despite the attacks, flotilla organisers insist they will press ahead. “Faced with this inaction, I am joining this citizens’ initiative, which is the largest humanitarian maritime convoy ever undertaken,” Hassan said.
This is not the first time Israel has moved to stop such missions.
In early June, Israeli naval forces intercepted the Madleen ship in international waters, seizing its aid supplies and detaining the crew of 12 activists. Another vessel, the Conscience, was struck by drones in May near Maltese waters, leaving it unable to continue its journey.
Organisers say the GSF – named after the Arabic word for resilience – represents one of the boldest challenges yet to Israel’s control of Gaza’s coastline.
The attempt comes as the United Nations warns of famine in Gaza, with more than half a million people facing catastrophic hunger.
Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia – Pro-Palestinian participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla, seeking to end the Israeli blockade of Gaza, are adamant that they will continue their mission, despite two attacks on their vessels this week.
Attacks on the vessels docked at Sidi Bou Said port in Tunisia from projectiles on Monday night and Tuesday night led to no casualties, but have shaken flotilla participants.
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Organisers have blamed Israel for the attacks and said the boats were hit by drones. Tunisian authorities acknowledged the attacks but said no drones were detected, promising an investigation.
“We are definitely sailing to Gaza, there is nothing that will prevent us sailing to Gaza whatsoever,” said Tara Reynor O’Grady, a 55-year-old Irish human rights activist. “Don’t be distracted by the strikes, they are made to confuse people, then a lot of panic happens, a lot of false information goes around, but we are determined, we are clear and focused in the way we have to achieve our goal, which is to reach Gaza, break the siege and open a humanitarian sea corridor.”
Hundreds of volunteers had assembled on Wednesday at Sidi Bou Said, preparing to set sail. Boats had arrived from Spain on Sunday, with more vessels joining from Tunisia.
However, the flotilla, named after the Arabic word for perseverance, is yet to depart from Tunisia, with preparations continuing.
According to organisers, the plan is for a first wave of vessels – the ones in the best condition – to set sail together to a point in the Mediterranean Sea, where they will rendezvous with other boats departing from ports in Italy and Greece.
Meanwhile, several vessels are still expected to arrive in Tunisia from the first leg, which departed from Barcelona last week. Once repaired and stocked, these ships will form a second wave, departing after the first, meeting up with the rest of the flotilla, and setting course towards the Palestinian shores of the Gaza Strip.
The attacks earlier this week hit two of the flotilla’s ships – the Family boat, which has had several members of the flotilla’s steering committee, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, on board; and the Alma.
Tadhg Hickey, an Irish comedian, writer and filmmaker who has been on board the Alma, told Al Jazeera that the attacks were “mere distractions”.
“As a team, we remain relaxed and focused on putting our comprehensive training into action, and first and foremost our primary goal of breaking the immoral, illegal siege of Gaza,” Hickey said.
The flotilla’s steering committee has insisted that the vessels will continue on their way to Gaza despite the attacks.
“Israel continues to breach international law and terrorise us. We will sail to break the blockade on Gaza no matter what they do,” one steering committee member, Saif Abukeshek, said.
Some flotilla participants have had to field anguished calls from family members worried about their safety.
“My mother found out about the attack while I was asleep, and she is really struggling,” said one volunteer, who insisted she would carry on to Gaza.
Meanwhile, other activists are worried that they may not be able to get a place on a vessel – with the number of people hoping to join the flotilla now exceeding the available places on participating ships – the exact number of which has been guarded for security reasons.
“I hope I can get a spot in one of the ships, but I think it’s going to be difficult,” said Andrea, a Mexican activist living in Austria.
The Flotilla Global Sumud said Tuesday that one of its boats was attacked by a drone in port in Tunis. The flotilla left Barcelona, Spain, earlier this month and arrived there on Sunday. File Photo by Quique Garcia/EPA
Sept. 9 (UPI) — A boat of the Global Sumud Flotilla heading to Gaza was struck by a drone, the nonviolence coalition said Tuesday.
The Portuguese-flagged Family Boat was at a port in Tunis, Tunisia, when it was struck at about 2 a.m. local time Tuesday, it said on X, stating the flotilla had been “attacked.”
“While all participants are safe, details about the attack remain limited,” it said in an official statement that followed.
Global Sumud Flotilla posted uncorroborated video of the incident shot by a nearby boat to X, showing a streaking flame hitting the deck of Family Boat.
Crew member Miguel Duarte said he saw the drone “clearly” about 13 feet above him.
“It stopped close to us and then moved slowly to the forward part of the ship and dropped what was obviously a bomb,” he said in a video published to the flotilla’s X account.
“There was a huge explosion, lots of fire, big, big flames.”
The purported bomb landed on a pile of life jackets, he said, which caught fire and had to be extinguished.
“Let me be clear: 100% it was a drone dropping a bomb on the forward deck of our ship,” he said.
The flotilla arrived in Tunis on Sunday after departing Spain a week earlier with climate justice Advocate Greta Thunberg aboard.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said it consists of about 50 boats loaded with food and aid and hundreds of activists from more than 45 countries.
Its mission is to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian enclave.
“Acts of aggression aimed at intimidating and derailing our mission will not deter us,” the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement. “Our peaceful mission to break the siege of Gaza and stand in solidarity with its people continues with determination and resolve.”
Israel has enforced a land, sea and air blockade of Gaza since Hamas‘ takeover of the enclave in 2007. The blockade has further been tightened since the Iran-backed militia’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began to allow aid into the country in May following a three-month prohibition, but international organizations say it is not enough.
The United Nations has accused Israel of creating a manmade famine in Gaza — accusations that Israel has rejected.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, as well as former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on allegations of using starvation as a method of warfare.
According to the Palestine Ministry of Health, 387 Palestinians, including 139 children, have died of starvation in Gaza.
At least 64,455 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel’s war against Hamas, the ministry said.
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), bound for the Gaza Strip, says a drone struck its main ship in the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said, causing a fire, but that all its passengers and crew were safe.
A spokesman for the GSF blamed Israel for the incident, which occurred late on Monday, but the Tunisian National Guard said reports of a drone attack were “completely unfounded”.
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The agency instead suggested that the fire was caused by a cigarette butt or a lighter setting a life jacket ablaze.
The GSF, however, insisted the incident was a drone attack and said it would provide more details on Tuesday morning.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
The GSF comprises more than 50 boats, heading for Gaza to break the Israeli siege on the war-battered and famine-stricken Palestinian territory.
According to the GSF, the incident on the Family Boat, which is sailing under a Portuguese flag and carrying the group’s steering committee members, took place at 11:45pm on Monday. There were six people on the boat at the time of the drone attack, and some of the passengers quickly extinguished the fire.
All crew members are safe, it said in a statement.
The fire caused damage to the ship’s main deck and below-deck storage, it said.
The GSF posted multiple videos on social media that it said showed the moment the attack took place.
One video, taken from another vessel near the Family Boat, showed an incendiary device falling on the boat, causing an explosion. Another video, captured on the Family Boat’s security cameras, shows crew members looking up and jumping back before an explosion.
Miguel Duarte, who was on board the Family Boat and witnessed the attack, told the Middle East Eye that he saw a drone hovering over the vessel before it dropped an explosive device.
“I was standing in the back part of the ship, the aft deck, and I heard a drone,” Duarte said in the video posted online by MEE.
“I saw a drone clearly about 4 metres [13 feet] above my head. I called someone. We were looking at the drone, just above our heads, really,” he recounted.
The drone stopped close to the two crew members, then moved slowly to the forward deck of the ship, and dropped what was “obviously a bomb”, he said.
“There was a huge explosion, lots of fire, big, big flames … We could have been killed,” Duarte added.
Members of the GSF held Israel responsible for the attack, noting the Israeli military’s past assaults on ships bound for Gaza.
“There is no other authority that would do such an attack, such a crime, except the Israeli authorities,” spokesperson Saif Abukeshek said in a video posted on the GSF’s official Instagram page.
“They have been committing genocide for the past 22 months, and they are willing to attack a peaceful, non-violent flotilla,” he added.
Tunisia’s National Guard, however, denied reports of a drone attack, saying on its Facebook page that initial investigations show the fire broke out in one of the life jackets on the ship “as a result of a lighter or cigarette butt”.
It added, “There was no evidence of any hostile act or external targeting.”
The GSF later announced it would hold a news conference at 10am local time on Tuesday (09:00 GMT) to update the media and the public about the attack.
The United Nations special rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, who is taking part in the flotilla, said while details of the attack have to be verified, Israel has a long history of attacking Gaza-bound ships.
“If it’s confirmed that this is a drone attack, it will be an assault and aggression against Tunisia and against Tunisian sovereignty,” Albanese said.
“Again, we cannot keep on tolerating this and normalising the illegal.”
Several flotillas have attempted to break the blockade of Gaza in the past.
In 2008, two boats from the Free Gaza Movement, founded in 2006 by activists during Israel’s war on Lebanon, successfully reached Gaza, marking the first breach of Israel’s naval blockade.
Since 2010, however, Israeli forces have intercepted or attacked all such flotillas in international waters, sometimes using deadly force. This includes Israel’s raid on the Mavi Marmara in 2010, during which its commandos killed 10 activists and wounded dozens of others.
There have been three attempts to break the Israeli siege of Gaza this year. The first one, organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aborted in May after drones struck the Conscience ship off the coast of Malta. The FFC blamed the attack on Israel.
The other bids, on the Madleen and Handala, were intercepted by Israeli forces off the coast of Gaza in international waters, and activists were detained and deported.
The GSF organisers say the latest attempt is the largest maritime mission to Gaza, bringing together more than 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries. Its participants include Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela and French actress Adele Haenel.
The first convoy of the flotilla departed from Spanish ports on August 31 and arrived in Tunisia last week. The group was due to depart from Tunis on Wednesday.
Abukeshek, the GSF spokesman, said the flotilla is determined to continue the mission despite the attack.
“We will continue our preparation as soon as we make sure the ships are safe and the crew and the participants are safe,” he said.
“We will continue to break the siege on Gaza.”
Hundreds of people from 44 countries are sailing dozens of vessels carrying aid for Gaza in the largest flotilla yet.
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Barcelona, Spain – Volunteers from across the world have come together in the main hall of one of Spain’s oldest labour unions, the UGT – once a registration centre for international volunteers who came to Spain to fight fascism during the Spanish Civil War.
Now it has trained the nonviolent international volunteers – Palestine supporters, activists, journalists and politicians – who will sail on the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza on Sunday.
“We are not heroes. We are not the story. The story is the people of Gaza,” organiser Thiago Avila, a lifelong activist for Palestine and environmental justice, told the crowds gathered for a news conference before the ships set sail.
Their goal is to deliver humanitarian aid, which is the flotilla’s only cargo, and open a humanitarian corridor for Palestinians facing being starved and killed by Israel.
In less than two years of war, Israel has killed more than 63,000 Palestinians with tens of thousands more injured and missing.
About 26,000 applications from people around the world came in and were whittled down to the hundreds who will be on board the roughly 100 flotilla boats.
The flotilla will start in Barcelona and head to Tunisia, where it will be joined by more vessels on Thursday.
Once out again on the Mediterranean Sea, it will converge with more boats leaving Italy and other undisclosed ports, and together they will sail in formation to the Gaza Strip.
Organisers know time is against them as Israel kills Palestinians daily, not only using air strikes and ground forces but also a man-made famine that it has imposed.
Since 2010, all freedom flotillas to Gaza have been intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces.
In June, the ship Madleen was illegally intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters about 185km (115 miles) west of Gaza, where Israel has no authority. Its crew, which included climate activist Greta Thunberg, were detained or expelled.
In 2010, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, made up of six ships carrying humanitarian aid and more than 600 passengers, was raided by Israeli commandos in Mediterranean waters.
The commandos killed 10 activists and wounded dozens.
Other attempts were blocked by Israel in 2011, 2015, 2018 and multiple attempts in 2025, including the Conscience, which was struck twice by drones 25km (14 nautical miles) off Malta.
An earlier attempt over land, called the Global March to Gaza, set out in June to deliver aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
Many of those volunteers have regrouped in Tunisia to gather ships to join the Global Sumud Flotilla.
The Barcelona gathering reflected a wide international presence, including delegations from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland and the United States.
The volunteers, some veterans of multiple flotillas, are focused on their collective purpose: to break Israel’s siege of Gaza and deliver aid to its people.
Training sessions in Barcelona were intense, designed to prepare participants for scenarios such as interception in international waters, arrest, imprisonment, deportation, violent assault or bureaucratic strategies to halt the departure of boats.
But the foundation of their preparation is maintaining nonviolence in any of these scenarios, something the organisers highlighted several times and warned that breaking from that principle would not be accepted.
Every volunteer has signed a strict code of conduct, committing to peaceful resistance and rejecting systems of oppression and exploitation throughout the mission.
Workshops also revisited the history of nonviolent struggle – from Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership in India’s independence movement to Rosa Parks’s defiance against racial segregation in the United States.
Among the participants was Luna Valentina, a 24-year-old Colombian volunteer. She is married to a Palestinian refugee and has lived in exile herself after being targeted in Colombia for her activism during mass protests against right-wing former President Ivan Duque.
![Luna Valentina [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/576A6746-1756632046.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
The couple live in Jordan after facing racism in Europe as they tried to find somewhere to settle, she told Al Jazeera.
During the Global March to Gaza, Valentina joined other Colombians on the way to Rafah. She recalled the solidarity, strength and care she found among fellow Colombian female activists, some of whom will set sail with her now, and others who will support the mission from land.
On Friday, a three-day celebration of the volunteers and their mission began on Moll de la Fusta, a port walkway in Barcelona, as the countdown began for their departure.
It was a warm outpouring of support as sounds of drums filled the air, hundreds of Palestinian flags fluttered and crowds gathered for a festival of music, culture and art to show support for Palestinians in Gaza and for the volunteers of the flotilla.
What everyone is hoping for is that the ships will arrive on the coast of besieged Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid that Israel has blocked from entering.
For Avila, the father of a newborn, this flotilla continues a legacy: “I love my daughter so much, as the mothers and fathers in Gaza, and because of this love, … we cannot leave a world like this. We have to change the society that enables a genocide to happen,” he told Al Jazeera.
“I believe that anyone that is not dead inside dies a little bit with every child in Gaza that dies,” he added.
That sentiment was shared by an Australian mother of four who has also joined the flotilla. Her voice broke as she said: “No one should live and die like this. Everyone deserves the same dignity and freedom.”
A global fleet of boats is preparing to set sail for Gaza as part of an international maritime initiative aimed at delivering humanitarian aid to starving people in Gaza.
The first convoy, consisting of dozens of small civilian vessels carrying activists, humanitarians, doctors, seafarers, and humanitarian supplies, is scheduled to depart from Spanish ports on August 31, to meet up in Tunisia with a second wave on September 4.
Organisers describe the Global Sumud Flotilla as the largest maritime mission to Gaza, bringing together more than 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries.
According to the Global Sumud Flotilla, delegations from 44 countries have already committed to sail to Gaza as part of the largest maritime mission to break Israel’s illegal siege.
Countries from six continents will be taking part in the flotilla, including countries such as Australia, Brazil, South Africa and numerous European states.
According to the group, participants are unaffiliated with any government or political party.
This mission is organised by four major coalitions, including groups that have participated in previous land and sea efforts to Gaza:
Collectively, they will form the largest coordinated civilian flotilla in history.
According to the Global Sumud Flotilla website, the coalition comprises a range of people, including organisers, humanitarians, doctors, artists, clergy, lawyers, and seafarers, who are united by a belief in human dignity, the power of nonviolent action, and a single truth: the siege and genocide must end.
A steering committee has also been set up, which includes the likes of Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, historian Kleoniki Alexopoulou, human rights activist Yasemin Acar, socioenvironmentalist Thiago Avila, political scientist and lawyer Melanie Schweizer, social scientist Karen Moynihan, physicist Maria Elena Delia, Palestinian activist Saif Abukeshek, humanitarian Muhammad Nadir al-Nuri, activist Marouan Ben Guettaia, activist Wael Nawar, activist and social researcher Hayfa Mansouri, and human rights activist Torkia Chaibi.
Although hundreds will set sail from the organised fleet, tens of thousands of others have registered to participate in the initiative.
In a media briefing from Placa del Rei in Barcelona, Saif Abukeshek said the exact number will be specified later and that the details of the specific ports and ships have been withheld for security reasons.
The group estimates that the fleet will take between seven and eight days to make the approximately 3,000km (1,620-nautical-mile) journey to Gaza.
A flotilla is a group of boats or ships organised to deliver essential supplies, such as food, medicine and other materials, to regions in crisis. They are usually organised when traditional supply routes such as air and land corridors are blocked or inaccessible.
Since 2007, Israel has tightly controlled Gaza’s airspace and territorial waters, restricting the movement of goods and people. Even before the war, Gaza had no functional airports after Israel bombed and destroyed the Yasser Arafat International Airport in 2001, just three years after it opened.
Humanitarian and grassroots flotillas usually operate under the protection of international organisations and are governed by naval laws.
By delivering aid by sea, the Sumud flotilla aims to confront Israel’s blockade head-on and carry a message that the siege must end.
Several Freedom Flotilla vessels have attempted to break the blockade of Gaza.
In 2008, two boats from the Free Gaza Movement successfully reached Gaza, marking the first breach of Israel’s naval blockade. The movement, founded in 2006 by activists during Israel’s war on Lebanon, went on to launch 31 boats between 2008 and 2016, five of which reached Gaza despite heavy Israeli restrictions.
Since 2010, all flotillas attempting to break the Gaza blockade have been intercepted or attacked by Israel in international waters.
2010 – Gaza Freedom Flotilla
In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara in international waters. The assault killed 10 activists and injured dozens, leading to global outrage. The ship was carrying humanitarian aid and more than 600 passengers.
2011 – Freedom Flotilla II
Freedom Flotilla II was launched in 2011 as a follow-up to the 2010 mission. Organised by a coalition of international activists and NGOs, it aimed to breach Israel’s blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.
2015 – Freedom Flotilla III
Freedom Flotilla III was launched in 2015 as the third major attempt by international activists to break through Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Organised by the FFC, the mission included several vessels, with the Swedish-flagged Marianne of Gothenburg leading the effort.
2018 – Just Future for Palestine
The Just Future for Palestine Flotilla – also known as the 2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla – was part of a continued effort by the FFC to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
2025 – Break the Siege ‘Conscience’
While preparing to sail to Gaza on May 2, the Conscience was struck twice by armed drones, just 14 nautical miles (25km) off the coast of Malta. The attack triggered a fire and caused a significant breach in the hull, forcing the 30 Turkish and Azeri activists on board into a desperate effort to bail out water and keep the ship afloat.
2025 – Madleen – The Madleen, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) on June 9, was intercepted by the Israeli military about 185km (100 nautical miles) from Gaza, in international waters.
2025 – Handala – On June 26, Israeli forces stormed the Gaza-bound Handala ship, which was carrying aid to starving Palestinians.