Attack on Global Sumud Flotilla’s “Alma”. Source: screenshot
The Global Sumud Flotilla’s vessel “Alma” was hit in a new suspected drone strike, marking the second attack on the initiative within days.
The Global Sumud Flotilla has come under attack for a second time in days while preparing to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza by sea. The vessel Alma, sailing under a British flag, was struck in another suspected drone assault and sustained fire damage to its upper deck.
“These repeat attacks come during intensified Israeli aggression on Palestinians in Gaza, and are an orchestrated attempt to distract and derail our mission,” the coalition stated. “The Global Sumud Flotilla continues undeterred.”
While investigations are ongoing, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese wrote on social media that early expert opinions suspected a drone strike carried out with “an incendiary grenade wrapped in plastic materials dipped in fuel.” The incident followed the attack a day earlier on the flotilla’s FamilyBoat, which carried steering committee members and supplies for Gaza on previous legs of the voyage. The strike drew widespread condemnation from grassroots groups and led to immediate popular mobilizations in the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said, where the flotilla is currently docked.
After the first assault, the coalition reaffirmed its determination to proceed. “We are leaving on this mission. No acts of aggression will stop us,” Global Sumud Flotilla’s Saif Abukeshek said. “In the coming days, the flotilla will be united at sea in our mission to break the siege, to end the genocide and to stand with the Palestinian people in their just struggle for freedom.”
“Our mission is clear: to expose Israel’s unfolding ethnic cleansing and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people,” the flotilla added.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is made up of trade unionists, health workers, actors, activists, and ordinary people seeking to reach Gaza with essential supplies while spotlighting Israeli war crimes and Western governments’ complicity. It marks the largest attempt to break the sea blockade since the genocide began in October 2023, supported by dozens of civilian vessels and thousands of volunteers on land.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpAKeir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Vote Labour for Genocide.
Supporters gather in Barcelona to see of the Sumud Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. Photo: Podemos / X
British doctor James Smith tells People’s Health Dispatch why he is joining the Global Sumud Flotilla and why health workers must organize against Israel’s genocide.
Health workers are among the dozens preparing to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, setting sail in the first week of September from ports in Tunisia, Spain, and Italy to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. As at least 50 ships get ready to cross the Mediterranean, People’s Health Dispatch spoke with Dr. James Smith, a British doctor and health activist with Medact and the People’s Health Movement (PHM). Having volunteered in Gaza during the genocide – and repeatedly blocked from returning by Israeli authorities – Smith now continues his solidarity work through the Flotilla’s latest launch.
People’s Health Dispatch:To start, could you briefly introduce yourself? What do you do, and how did you decide to join the Global Sumud Flotilla?
James Smith: I’m a doctor trained in the UK, and for most of the past decade I’ve worked on and off in the international medical humanitarian sector with various organizations. During that time, I’ve also maintained a strong interest in health justice and solidarity movements, and I’ve always followed the work of the People’s Health Movement (PHM).
I foremost came to connect with the Global Sumud Flotilla, I guess, because I worked in Gaza during the genocide. I spent about two and a half months there as an emergency doctor, and what I witnessed made it very clear how limited humanitarianism and the liberal political order really are. It’s clear in Gaza, as it should be in many other parts of the world, that we can’t rely on existing political or legal systems to uphold justice, fairness, or equality. Unfortunately, that responsibility often falls to ordinary folks.
We’ve seen this for decades, almost a century, in international solidarity movements around Palestine. More recently, there’s been a vibrant resurgence of direct action: dockworkers refusing to load military equipment directed to Israel and campaigns against the international arms trade in the UK and elsewhere. And, of course, we’ve seen the flotillas. They have existed since the 2000s: the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has organized more than 30 missions, but this is the biggest single international flotilla effort so far.
For me, as someone who has worked in Gaza, who has lobbied politicians, spoken to the media, and written in academic forums, there’s nothing else to do. It feels like every other avenue has already been tried. Nothing has worked. That’s why I believe it’s up to all of us – as citizens of the world, if I can use that phrase – to take action and force an end to Israel’s genocide, because that’s the only way it will happen. We need to be very aware that humanitarianism can’t solve a genocide. James Orbinski said this back in 1999, humanitarianism alone cannot stop genocide, it cannot stop atrocity crimes. So while I’ve been rejected from returning to Gaza, I also recognize that humanitarianism isn’t the answer. That’s one of the reasons why I’m joining the flotilla.
PHD:We’ve seen health workers in Gaza murdered, kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured. As a health worker yourself – and perhaps in conversations with others joining the Flotilla – what is the driving motivation? What do you most want to raise, given the systematic attacks on Gaza’s health system, and more broadly on Palestine’s healthcare, including in the occupied West Bank?
JS: We’ve seen an unprecedented assault on health as part of the strategy of genocide. Approximately 1,600 Palestinian healthcare workers have been killed. The entire healthcare system, its infrastructure, its medical supplies, has been devastated.
I personally visited hospitals across Gaza, from north to south, all of which had suffered targeted attacks. Bullet holes in the walls. Generators destroyed by Israeli tanks. Whole wards shelled by artillery. At one hospital in Khan Younis, after Israeli soldiers occupied the building, they cut every single ultrasound probe before leaving. We’re seeing a meticulous, systematic assault on health as a way to ethnically cleanse and eliminate the Palestinian people.
Even if this were not the case, as healthcare workers we have a responsibility that goes beyond treating the immediate pathologies that walk through the door. We also have to address the root causes of ill health, which always come back to justice, discrimination, and different forms of oppression – factors that shape how we live and relate to one another. For me, it’s a moral, professional, and political responsibility to engage in this work. And while I’ve had the privilege of working alongside many Palestinian health workers, I believe even those who haven’t shared this obligation, it is incumbent on us to resist what Israel is doing in Palestine.
PHD:To conclude, what can people who are not on the Flotilla do to support it? What should they prioritize over the next couple of weeks?
JS: The simple reality is that we live within a capitalist global order, and therefore some of our power lies in where we put our money. Francesca Albanese has published a report listing many corporations and institutions complicit in the genocide, those bankrolling it and profiting from it. One of the lowest bars for action, in this context, is to think carefully and ethically about where we spend our money. We must engage in the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement: boycott through our own purchasing choices, ensure our loved ones are also doing the same, and collectively support these efforts.
PHD: What kind of collective actions do you see as most urgent?
JS: Coordinated collective direct action is crucial: lobbying political powers to cut ties with Israel, impose sanctions, and sever economic, political, and diplomatic relationships. And we must ensure these ties aren’t reintroduced the moment a ceasefire is agreed.
In my lifetime, I’ve never seen this level of mobilization in support of Palestine. There’s been a real revival of the solidarity movement, but we still need to organize more coherently within our workplaces, friendship groups, and families. Even after two years of genocide, there is still so much work to do. As healthcare workers, we need to organize more cohesively. And these mobilizations must be sustained not just for days, weeks, or months, but for years and decades, in pursuit of a liberated Palestine.
The Sumud Flotilla is a privilege to be part of, but many people following Israel’s genocide might feel frustrated that they can’t do something, let’s say, physically. But there is always something to do, wherever we are in the world, from the remotest corners to towns and cities right next to Palestine. We need to build connections to sustain these movements and sustain each other. And we must recognize that all of these actions are interconnected: choosing not to buy an Israeli product, choosing a Palestinian one instead, or booking travel through a platform that doesn’t operate in the occupied West Bank. Each of these small acts is part of a wider movement for liberation.
Interview slightly edited for length
People’s Health Dispatch is a fortnightly bulletin published by thePeople’s Health Movement and Peoples Dispatch. For more articles and to subscribe to People’s Health Dispatch, clickhere.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpAUK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.Vote Labour for Genocide.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpAUK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
Original article by republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.
Source: Freedom Flotilla/X
Delegations from 17 European countries, including trade unionists and health workers, will join the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza.
Delegations from at least 17 European countries are preparing to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, which will set sail on Sunday, August 31, in a new attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Many of the crew members taking part in this effort to deliver urgently needed supplies have already been active in Palestine solidarity campaigns in their own countries over the past years. For them, joining the flotilla is a logical step in confronting Israel’s ongoing genocide.
Belgian physician Hanne Bosselaers, active with Medics for the People (MPLP–GVHV) and the People’s Health Movement (PHM), emphasized that it is impossible to remain idle while a genocide unfolds in Palestine. Like other PHM members who will also be on board, including British emergency doctor James Smith and Moroccan health activist Aziz Rhali, Bosselaers has long worked with Palestinian health organizations and highlighted the resilience and determination of Gaza’s health workers.
For many European participants, the flotilla is also about holding their governments accountable for inaction and silence in the face of Israeli war crimes. “We have a collective responsibility to prevent atrocity crimes,” Smith said in a PHM statement. “Our governments and our courts have failed, and so we must do whatever we can to expose Israel’s crimes and break its brutal siege.”
“Workers can effectively oppose war”
Workers from different sectors will make up a significant share of the flotilla’s crew. Among them are members of the Autonomous Collective of Port Workers (Collettivo Autonomo dei Lavoratori Portuali, CALP), a group known for its consistent actions against arms shipments through the port of Genoa in Italy. CALP’s decision to participate comes alongside an intensive campaign carried out with Music for Peace, which collected more than 40 tons of supplies for Gaza in just a few days – reflecting the widespread opposition to Israel’s crimes.
“The decision by CALP members to take part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, not only by collecting humanitarian aid but also by boarding long-standing member José Nivoi, a leader of USB’s Sea and Ports Coordination, represents the outcome of a long trade union and political journey that is, importantly, oriented toward the future,” the trade union Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) wrote.
That vision of the future includes building international cooperation and solidarity, something already demonstrated by dockworkers’ coordinated refusals to handle arms shipments bound for Israel. “Dockworkers are sending out a hugely significant signal: workers can effectively oppose war, and they can do so even more powerfully if they unite internationally,” USB stated.
As dozens of send-off events are being prepared across Europe ahead of the flotilla’s launch, hope and determination remain strong among its supporters. “We do not know what will happen, and we are well aware of the Israeli government’s contempt for international law,” USB cautioned. “We are confident, but also concerned.”
Despite such concerns, the broad grassroots support for the Global Sumud Flotilla makes clear that across Europe, ordinary people, unlike their governments, reject war – and are prepared to mobilize for peace.
The Madleen before departure. Source: Tan Safi/Freedom Flotilla Coalition
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.
In July 2025, a new international maritime initiative was launched: the Global Sumud Flotilla. It was formed by four major coalitions: the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Maghreb Sumud Convoy, and the Southeast Asian Nusantara Sumud Initiative. The Global Sumud Flotilla is set to depart on August 31, 2025. Its goal is clear: to break Israel’s illegal blockade on Gaza, to deliver urgent humanitarian aid, and to expose the genocidal war waged on Palestinians.
The flotilla is composed of dozens of small civilian vessels carrying activists, parliamentarians, doctors, and trade unionists, alongside humanitarian cargo. More than 39 national delegations have pledged participation, making this the largest people-led maritime effort in solidarity with Gaza since the 2010 “Mavi Marmara”.
Behind every flotilla passenger lies a story of conviction. Greek trade unionists brought banners pledging workers’ solidarity with Palestine. Doctors from Spain and Italy carried vital medicines banned from entering Gaza. Parliamentarians from South Africa and Norway insisted that breaking the siege is a moral and political duty.
This is not the first flotilla of its kind this year. The “Handala” and “Madleen”, two of the Freedom Flotilla’s flagship vessels, also set sail in an attempt to break the blockade of Gaza. However, they were attacked by drones and stormed by Israeli forces. Passengers were beaten, kidnapped, and deported. Phones were confiscated, activists were interrogated, and many went on hunger strike to protest their detention. The attack was not just on the Freedom Flotilla; it was an attack on the principle of global solidarity itself.
The Global Sumud Flotilla insists that its mission is entirely lawful under international maritime law. Civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid in international waters are protected under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Israel’s interception of the “Handala” and “Madleen” constitutes nothing less than piracy and a war crime.
The flotilla’s organizers remind the world that Israel has maintained a land, air, and sea blockade on Gaza since 2007. As they prepared for upcoming missions, flotilla spokespeople declared:
“Our boats carry more than aid. They carry a message: the siege must end. The greater danger lies not in confronting Israel at sea, but in allowing genocide to continue with impunity.”
Criminalizing solidarity, violating international law
In recent months, Israel has escalated its campaign to silence international solidarity with Palestine by targeting civilian flotillas attempting to break the Gaza blockade. These ships, carrying activists, aid, and a message of defiance against siege, have become symbols of global resistance. Instead of engaging through diplomacy or respecting humanitarian principles, Israel has resorted to force on the high seas, treating peaceful civilian missions as military threats.
The assaults on the “Handala” and “Madleen” are more than acts of piracy, they are grave breaches of international law. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) guarantees freedom of navigation in international waters. By seizing vessels outside its territorial jurisdiction, Israel has acted as a rogue state.
International legal experts have consistently affirmed that the blockade of Gaza since 2007 constitutes collective punishment, violating the Fourth Geneva Convention. The International Criminal Court has received multiple submissions documenting Israel’s starvation siege, now exacerbated by open genocide. Yet governments that loudly invoke “rules-based order” remain silent when Palestinians, and their supporters, are the victims.
Instead of protecting citizens, western governments have facilitated Israel’s repression. Passengers aboard the flotillas were stripped of their phones, interrogated, and some were denied re-entry into the Schengen zone. Western states’ silence amounts to complicity.
Some detainees launched hunger strikes in Israeli prisons to protest their abduction. Others returned home to smear campaigns. Western right-wing media accused activists of “provocation” or of “endangering security”. Once-beloved Swedish activist Greta Thunberg who joined the “Madleen” flotilla, received attacks from mainstream media, on social media, and from influential political figures. Such tactics aim to delegitimize solidarity and sow fear among those who dare to act.
But these campaigns have failed to extinguish the moral clarity of the movement. From dockworkers in Barcelona refusing to load arms to Israel, to students occupying universities in the US and Britain, the flotilla has become a symbol: solidarity cannot be blockaded.
The human face of global resistance
The Global Sumud Flotilla represents a convergence of struggles across continents:
The Global Campaign to Return to Palestine mobilized thousands of activists worldwide.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, with roots going back to 2010, brings long experience of organizing maritime resistance.
The Maghreb Sumud Convoy, launched in June 2025, gathered over 1,000 participants from across North Africa under the banner of “coordinated action for Palestine”.
The Nusantara Sumud Initiative, launched from Malaysia and eight other Southeast Asian countries, embodies South–South solidarity inspired by Palestinian steadfastness.
Together, these four networks transformed the flotilla from a handful of ships into a people-powered humanitarian corridor. The first official mission is scheduled for August 31, 2025, from Spain, followed by a second launch from Tunisia on September 4, with more than 50 ships expected to participate.
At a press conference in Tunis, organizers emphasized that the flotilla is not merely logistical, it is symbolic:
“This will not only be a fleet. It will be a reminder that the world is watching, that Gaza is not alone, and that peoples will not remain silent.”
The Freedom Flotilla is part of a long lineage of resistance at sea. The 2010 assault on the “Mavi Marmara”, in which Israeli forces killed ten activists, shocked the world. But instead of stopping solidarity, it multiplied it.
The Global Sumud Flotilla marks a new stage. By linking Mediterranean ports, North African caravans, and Southeast Asian convoys, it builds a transnational infrastructure of resistance. Its Arabic name Sumud, steadfastness, reflects both Palestinian resilience and the determination of people across the world to act where governments have failed.
Breaking the siege, building the future
The choice is now clear. Israel will continue to attack peaceful ships in international waters, abduct activists, and suppress humanitarian efforts, because the siege is a cornerstone of its genocidal project. Western governments will continue to look away.
But ordinary people, from Greek dockworkers refusing to load weapons for Israel, to Tunisian unions welcoming flotilla missions, to students and parliamentarians raising their voices, are building a counter-power.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is both a lifeline and a warning: Gaza will not be starved into silence, and solidarity will not be blockaded.
As the flotilla prepares to set sail with more than 50 ships, its message resounds across seas and continents: The siege must fall. Gaza must live. Palestine must be free.
