Despite drone attacks, the Flotilla sails on to Gaza

SEPTEMBER 17, 2025

HubMP2012

As Israeli tanks enter Gaza city and at least 56,000 people flee their homes, the Global Sumud Flotilla sails on, despite aerial attacks.

The Global Sumud Flotilla has now set sail from Tunisia and is heading to Gaza. In the coming days, it will meet up with other vessels coming from Italy and Greece. The historic civilian mission aiming to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza and open a humanitarian aid corridor is organised by four major coalitions, including groups that have participated in previous land and sea efforts to Gaza.

The Flotilla sails on as Israel launches a major ground offensive in Gaza and a UN Commission of Inquiry determines that the Zionist state has committed genocide on four out of five counts under international law.

Boats in the Flotilla have been deliberately targeted by two separate drone attacks in Tunisian waters.  Fortunately, damage was limited and nobody was hurt. A statement from the Flotilla said: “These repeat attacks come during intensified Israeli aggression on Palestinians in Gaza, and are an orchestrated attempt to distract and derail our mission. The Global Sumud Flotilla continues undeterred.”

In the wake of the attacks, sixteen countries have issued a joint statement demanding protection for the Flotilla. The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Qatar, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Ireland, Libya, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mexico, Pakistan, Oman, Slovenia, South Africa, and Spain.

To fully appreciate the danger faced by the Flotilla and the courage of those taking part in the mission, one need only listen to the outpourings of Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has declared that all the volunteers on board are “terrorists,” and will be treated as such.

“We know who has interest in stopping these flotillas,” Mariana Mortágua told Democracy Now! Maria  is the National Coordinator of the Portuguese Left Bloc and an MP who joined the Global Sumud Flotilla in Barcelona because “It’s my duty to be here and to help in any way I can to bring attention to the situation in Gaza and the genocide and to break the siege.”

Other high-profile members of the mission include Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, the South African MP Mandla Mandela. Forty-four separate countries are represented on the Flotilla. But as one of the participants  pointed out: “No matters how big this mission becomes. We can never forget Palestine is always at the centre. That’s why we are here.”

Earlier this month, a dockworker at the port of Genoa said that working class Italians would “shut down all of Europe” if communication is lost with the Flotilla crew members. Last week, Genoa dock workers warned they would shut down the port on September 22nd if Israel blocks the Flotilla from reaching Gaza.

Meanwhile, a petition started by Italian football coaches to call on FIFA to exclude Israel from the World Cup is gathering momentum, as are calls to ban Israel from the next Eurovision Song Contest.

After two weeks on sometimes stormy seas, the Flotilla’s stop in Tunisia was an opportunity to make repairs, regroup and prepare for the final leg. “Local people in Bizerte have been wonderful and welcoming and not letting us pay for stuff like pillows and ice cream and bread and tomatoes,” one participant reported. “Everyone is asking when we are sailing and wishing us well.”

There are some 40 vessels in the Global Sumud Flotilla. They include an observer boat named after Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank in May 2022, which is carrying legal specialists who will document any violations of international law the Flotilla may experience. There is also a women-only boat with activists from a range of different countries.

Footage of the Flotilla sailing from Tunisia can be seen here, and here. Follow the flotilla’s progress on X at https://x.com/GlobalSumudF  and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/globalsumudflotilla/

We Move Europe have mounted a petition calling on the European Union and its Member States to protect the Flotilla from Israeli attack here.