A flotilla of 68 boats and yachts is making its way from Sicily toward the shores of the Gaza Strip, prompting an urgent security discussion on Wednesday that brought Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu out of his ongoing trial.
The flotilla, which departed Monday, comprises – according to its organizers – 68 vessels and approximately 1,000 activists from dozens of different organizations. The organizers say the convoy is carrying humanitarian aid for residents of Gaza and that they hope the large number of vessels will result in "breaking Israel's blockade" for at least some of the boats, in a way that will "raise awareness of the hunger and blockade in the Gaza Strip."
Defense Minister Israel Katz imposed sanctions on a fundraising campaign for the flotilla, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla the Second Mission, which Israel says is organized by the Hamas terrorist organization in collaboration with additional international organizations under the guise of a humanitarian aid convoy.
The sanctions were imposed as part of the economic campaign led by the defense establishment against Hamas and against attempts to destabilize the Gaza Strip – efforts that also involve the US – and following intensive activity by the Israeli Navy, the Military Intelligence Directorate, and the National Bureau for Counter Terror at the Defense Ministry.
The flotilla, which departed from several countries including Turkey, Spain, and Italy, includes more than 100 vessels and approximately 1,000 participants. According to the Defense Ministry, the flotilla is in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which requires that aid to the Strip enter through official channels, and therefore undermines the stabilization efforts led by the Trump administration as part of its push for regional stability.
At the forefront of the public-facing operation is the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which is raising funds to purchase vessels and recruit participants. These steps are being taken in a manner that is neither transparent to the public nor necessarily legal. Recently, figures associated with the organization were arrested in Tunisia on suspicion of money laundering and corruption, and the organization's leadership has been detained in several locations on those same suspicions.
"The blockade is illegal"
Among those on board is Margaret Connolly, sister of Ireland's president, Cathleen Connolly. In an interview with a local newspaper in County Sligo, Ireland, before her departure, Connolly said, "I joined the flotilla because we cannot stand by while millions are subjected to forced starvation and an illegal blockade. The flotilla is a powerful symbol of international solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, who are suffering from an ongoing genocide and an inhuman blockade that is now approaching its 18th year.
"And today we all know that the majority of people in Ireland stand with the Palestinian people in their struggle for their legitimate rights, including the right to self-determination and the establishment of a free, independent, and sovereign Palestinian state," she said.
"Our flotilla is sailing to give hope. We are sailing to Gaza to break the 18-year Israeli naval blockade, to provide urgent humanitarian aid, and to demonstrate international solidarity with Palestinians facing ongoing hunger and conflict."
