Zeynep ConkarNight had fallen over the sea as activists moved across the decks of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), coiling ropes and giving instructions in multiple languages. On the Alma, a sudden flash lit the water, and fire erupted on deck. Volunteers scrambled with hoses and had the flames under control within minutes.
“Two nights in a row. It’s not a coincidence,” one said. “This is a threat to the mission, and it’s a serious threat that we’re taking very seriously.”
Among those preparing to sail is Pakistani Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, a member of the flotilla. Khan describes the drone strikes as “an act of terrorism by the racist Israeli regime on a peaceful humanitarian mission,” in an interview with TRT World.
“This is a legal and nonviolent solidarity mission carried out through international waters.”
“We are trying to end the inhuman siege and blockade, to deliver aid and establish a humanitarian corridor to Gaza. The world must act to stop this genocide,” Khan says.
The Global Sumud Flotilla –named after the Arabic word for “steadfastness”– plans to leave Tunisia with a multinational group of doctors, journalists, and campaigners on more than 50 boats.
Their mission: to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.
The flotilla reported on Monday that its flagship, the Family Boat, had been struck by a suspected drone.
On board were crew members from the previous aid flotilla vessel Madleen, seized by Israeli forces in June. Among them were Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, activist Yasemin Acar, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, and Turkish activist Suayb Ordu.
A second attack was reported Tuesday night on the Alma.
"Acts of aggression aimed at intimidating and derailing our mission will not deter us," the flotilla said in a statement.
The atmosphere recalls earlier aid flotillas intercepted en route to Gaza despite Israel’s blockade. Since the genocide in Gaza began in October 2023, killing at least 65,000 people and reducing much of the territory to rubble, the siege has been under growing international scrutiny.
Each night before setting sail, volunteers meet for safety briefings and sing solidarity songs, sleeping lightly under the buzzing of drones or the threat of fire. Still, their resolve outweighs the danger.
For them, sumud now means braving the sea, the drones, and the risks to stand with a people under siege.
According to Khan, the flotilla aims to prevent hunger from being used as a weapon of war and ensure aid reaches civilians trapped under the brutal Israeli blockade.
“We, the people and participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla from across the globe, want to save humanity, to save Palestine, to save Gaza,” says Khan.
Remembering past attempts
One of the most well-known attempts to reach Gaza by sea was the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, involving six ships, including the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara. It aimed to break Israel’s naval blockade and deliver much-needed aid directly to the besieged territory.
The Mavi Marmara was carrying humanitarian aid supplies, including medical equipment, food, and other essential goods. But the aid never reached the territory.
As the flotilla neared Gaza, Israeli naval forces launched a violent raid on the Mavi Marmara, killing 10 Turkish humanitarian workers and injuring many others. Many were shot at close range, including one who was shot in the head while already wounded and lying on the deck.
A UN fact-finding mission concluded that Israel’s blockade was unlawful and the raid was "excessive and unreasonable".
Despite the backlash, Israel has continued to intercept and detain flotilla participants, often seizing aid and refusing to deliver it to Gaza. Smaller missions in 2011, 2015, and 2018 were also blocked.
The GSF’s mission is protected under international maritime and humanitarian law, which bars Israel from intercepting any vessel in international waters carrying aid to a starving population.
In June 2025, another Gaza-bound vessel, the Madleen, was intercepted by Israeli naval forces about 185 kilometres off Gaza’s coast while carrying food, baby formula and medical supplies.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) reported that 12 activists on board were illegally detained, with four deported and eight held under harsh conditions, including solitary confinement.
“SOS! the volunteers on 'Madleen' have been kidnapped by Israeli forces,” the FFC said on Telegram in June.
Why this moment matters
Since 2007, Israel has imposed sweeping restrictions on the movement of people and goods by land, air, and sea, fully controlling Gaza’s borders and plunging the Palestinian territory’s 2.3 million residents into extreme hardship.
Under international humanitarian law, occupying powers must ensure the welfare of civilians and allow free passage of aid. In a 2023 ruling, the International Court of Justice reaffirmed that states must take all necessary steps to prevent genocide, including permitting unimpeded aid to populations at risk of famine, obligations Israel has yet to fulfil.
Especially since October 7, 2023, Gaza has been under a total siege. Aid entry by land has been throttled, with convoys frequently delayed, bombed, or looted.
To date, 2,430 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid, and more than 17,794 have been wounded since May 27.
On Monday, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported six more Palestinians, including two children, had died from malnutrition and starvation in the last 24 hours, bringing the Israeli-made famine-linked death toll up to 393 people, including 140 children.
“I call upon the United Nations to take notice of this brutal, violent, terrorist act of the racist regime. I also call upon the governments and people of the world, the UN, the OIC, the Arab League, to support the GSF and to guarantee its security,” says Khan.
“No Israeli threat and no Israeli drone attack can break our resolve. We are unstoppable, we are committed, and we will reach Gaza, inshallah,” he adds.
