The Global Sumud Flotilla’s mission has only just begun

Last night and early this morning, Israel intercepted and boarded 39 ships heading towards Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. But it’s not over yet: at the time of writing, around four ships are still sailing, with some just miles from the shore, and even if not a single one of them reaches its destination, the Global Sumud Flotilla has still won.

In what Amnesty International has described as an “attack on international law and basic humanity”, hundreds of crew members aboard these ships were blasted with water cannons, abducted in international waters, and taken to Israel. If the last two attempts to reach Gaza by sea are anything to go by, they will be offered the opportunity to sign papers consenting to deportation, which requires accepting that they entered Israel illegally. If they refuse - as many crew members have pledged to do - they will likely be detained for a longer period of time and have to appear before a tribunal. The Global Sumud Flotilla is calling on people to pressure their elected representatives to ensure the safe return of those who were captured, among them prominent activists like Geta Thunburg, politicians, journalists and healthcare workers, while other groups have shared information on how to do this, no matter where you live. 

While they had hoped to reach Gaza, everyone who took part in the flotilla did so knowing that interception was the most likely outcome; it is how every similar effort since 2010 has ended. This possibility was baked into the strategy. Although these ships were carrying tonnes of humanitarian aid, including food, baby formula and medical supplies, and it’s a tragedy that this won’t reach the people who desperately need it, crew members have acknowledged that it wouldn't be enough to address the man-made famine in Gaza.

Israel, alongside smearing the flotilla as a terrorist enterprise, has denounced it as a “stunt”, which isn’t exactly untrue: the mission had objectives that went beyond delivering aid, and many of these are already being fulfilled, in a way that goes far beyond being symbolic. 

The organisers wanted to force reluctant states into diplomatic confrontations with Israel, which is already happening. It clearly didn’t have much effect in practical terms, but Italy, Spain and Turkey sending naval ships to accompany the flotilla was still a significant shift in policy, which at the very least raised the possibility of confrontation with Israel and showed that the blockade, accepted as a given by Western leaders for over twenty years, is not an immutable force.

Today, Israel has been condemned by governments around the world, Colombia, Turkey, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Ireland, pushing it one step further towards pariah status in the international community. The political pressure the flotilla has created is only going to intensify. While the Trump administration is unlikely to get change course any time soon (even as this week a New York Times poll found a dramatic decline in public support for Israel), the energy is shifting in Europe, where political leaders seem to be waking up to the reality that they can no longer ignore mass public opposition to the genocide. That said, even though several British citizens were captured and a ship flying the British flag was intercepted, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has yet to say a word. 

The organisers wanted to inspire a global movement, one that is already in action. Last week’s general strike in Italy, for example, was organised partly in solidarity with the flotilla, and, in response to Israel’s latest actions, Italian trade unions have organised a second one to take place this Friday. There have already been protests in cities all over the world, including several in Italy, London, Brussels, Athens, Istanbul, Buenos Aires and Berlin (with further protests taking place across the UK tonight.)

There will be more to come: a coalition of groups is calling for major escalation, including dock worker strikes, student walkouts, culture industry strikes and the mobilisation of civil society. Echoing this call for escalation, the BDS movement has demanded Israel be expelled from the UN, as well as international sport and cultural competitions. The backlash generated by the flotilla could force the hand of the organisers of Eurovision and World Cup, who are already facing considerable pressure to ban Israel. 

In the last few weeks, Palestinians in Gaza have shared videos of themselves singing songs or drawing messages of support in the sand, and one young girl said in a message, “Thank you for sailing with love, food , and hope... You remind us that we are not forgotten.” That kind of hope still means something, even if the mission was eventually frustrated.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, as steering committee member Saif Abukeshek told Dazed last month, was always intended to be the beginning of a movement, rather than an end in itself.  While it’s devastating to see people in Gaza waiting on the shore for help that now may not arrive, this should be a time for mobilisation, not despair. As Crew member David Adler posted on X before his capture: “So when you hear that we have been intercepted – and you will hear it, within the coming hours – please do not fear for us. We knew what we were sailing toward. We made this choice with open eyes and full hearts. Instead, let’s raise hell!”

Just before it was intercepted, one of the flotilla’s boats – the Mikeno – reached Gaza’s territorial waters, breaking the blockade even if only for a moment. It can and will be broken again, but it is up to us build on the momentum that these courageous people have created.