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Global Sumud Flotilla aims to break Israel’s illegal blockade on Gaza, to deliver urgent humanitarian aid, and to expose the genocidal war waged on Palestinians. According to the Global Sumud Flotilla, delegations from 44 countries are taking part and started to sail aboard over 50 ships to Gaza as part of the largest maritime mission in history to break Israel’s illegal siege.
People from six continents are participating in the flotilla, including countries such as Australia, Brazil, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Africa, and numerous European states. According to the group, participants are unaffiliated with any government or political party.
The ships are carrying baby formula, diapers, food, & medicine. The flotilla set sail from Barcelona on Sunday, and dozens of additional boats are expected to join the flotilla from Tunisia and other Mediterranean ports on September 4, in a simultaneous action "in solidarity with the Palestinian people" in a journey to Gaza that may take 7-8 days.
Names of the four groups organizing Sumud Flotilla
According to Sumud's website, here is the list of the groups organizing the Flotilla:
* Global Movement to Gaza (GMTG) – Formerly known as Global March to Gaza, is a grassroots movement organizing global solidarity actions to support Gaza and break the siege.
* Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) – With 15 years of experience running sea missions, including past flotillas such as the Madleen and Handala, Mavi Marmara, and FFC, provides hands-on advice, guidance, and operational support to current efforts to break the Gaza blockade.
* Maghreb Sumud Flotilla – Formerly known as the Sumud Convoy, is a North Africa-based initiative carrying out solidarity missions to deliver aid and support to Palestinian communities.
* Sumud Nusantara – A people-led convoy from Malaysia and 8 other countries that aims to break the Gaza blockade and foster solidarity among Global South nations.
What is Sumud Mission?
Sumud's mission according to the group website states, "We are a coalition of everyday people—organizers, humanitarians, doctors, artists, clergy, lawyers, and seafarers—who believe in human dignity and the power of nonviolent action.
In June, we launched a globally coordinated mobilization by land, sea, and air. In Sumud, we return with a unified strategy: one goal and global coordination like never before.
Our efforts build on decades of Palestinian resistance and international solidarity. Though we belong to/hold different nations, faiths, and political beliefs, we are united by a single truth: the siege and genocide must end.
We are independent, international, and unaffiliated with any government or political party. Our allegiance is to justice, freedom, and the sanctity of human life."
Global Sumud Flotilla's website said, "The coalition comprises a range of people, including organizers, 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." Among them:
About Us - Sail to Gaza
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, socioenvironmental 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.
Who are the people taking part in the Flotilla?
* Greta Thunberg is a Swedish climate justice advocate. Thunberg joined the Freedom Flotilla’s Conscience mission, which was bombed by two Israeli drones before the launch and in June, she took part in the Madleen mission to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza and deliver life-saving aid.
* Kleoniki Alexopoulou is an economic and social historian specializing in the Global South. Over the past year, she has been a post-doctoral scholar at the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies. She is a founding member of a trade union and editorial collectives in Greece.
* Yasemin Acar is a dedicated human rights activist and organizer with a focus on social justice, refugee rights, and combating anti-Muslim racism in Turkey and Germany. She serves on the steering committee of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and was part of the crew aboard the Madleen.
* Thiago Ávila of Brazil was one of the coordinators on board the Madleen mission that was intercepted and kidnapped by the Israeli pirates last June. He was put in solitary confinement after exposing Israeli's crimes in front of a judge and starting a hunger and thirst strike until his deportation.
* Melanie Schweizer of Germany is a political scientist and lawyer who served as Senior Legal Advisor at the German Federal Ministry of Labour. In early 2025, she was fired from her job after publicly criticizing Israel over Gaza and her dismissal sparked a national debate about free speech in Germany.
* Saif Abukeshek, a Palestinian activist based in Barcelona, has been organizing Palestinian solidarity across Europe for over 20 years. He was a lead organizer in the Global March to Gaza. He is also the General Secretariat of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad. Saif is a proud father of three children, aged one, five, and seven.
* Hayfa Mansouri is a Tunisian civil society activist and social researcher with a multidisciplinary academic background in engineering, philosophy, and sociology. She has played an active role in organizing boycott initiatives, awareness campaigns, and public events to support Palestine and challenge normalization.
* Susan Sarandon is an American actress with a career spanning over 5 decades. Miss Sarandon has become one of Hollywood’s most outspoken critics of Israel during its genocidal war in Gaza. She has been especially active in her critique of Israel in online postings where she told followers that Israel was committing war crimes in Gaza.
* Sarah Wilkinson is a British human rights activist and reporter who was arrested by police last week and subsequently released for content that she posted online. Wilkinson is arguably Britain’s most dedicated and prolific online chronicler of the plight of Palestinians, posting graphic and horrifying evidence of Israel’s atrocities on her social media platforms.
Finally, I truly believe these people are brave. Just look at what the Israelis did to the USS Liberty. These fearless people have more humanity and decency in their fingernails than all of the supporters of Israel and its genocide. One day, these warriors will be able to tell their children that when Palestinian women and children in Gaza were being starved to death by the Israeli Death Forces (IDF) they did not stay on the sideline, rather, they sailed to Gaza aboard the Sumud Flotilla with food and medicine to provide aid and comfort despite the risk of losing their lives.
Mahmoud El-Youseph is a Palestinian freelance writer and retired U.S. Air Force veteran. He writes on U.S. foreign policy, Middle East affairs, and justice. Email: elyousseph6@yahoo.com
INFOGRAPHIC: Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest solidarity fleet, sails to break Gaza’s blockade, raise awareness about Israeli American genocide and demand justice Credit: @PressTV Sep. 2