The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF; Arabic: أسطول الصمود العالمي, romanized: Usṭūl aṣ-Ṣumūd al-ʿĀlamī), sometimes referred to as the Global Freedom Flotilla (أسطول الحرية العالمي, Usṭūl al-Ḥurriyya al-ʿĀlamī), is an international, civil society-led maritime initiative launched in mid-2025, aiming to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.
It is named from ṣumūd, Arabic for ‘steadfastness’ or ‘resilience’. The initiative emerged in July 2025, organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Global Movement to Gaza, and Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, among others, during the Gaza war. The flotilla comprises over 50 vessels with thousands of participants from more than 44 countries. Some attempts to break the Israeli blockade were successful before 2010, but since then ships have been intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces, most recently in June and July, with another vessel attacked by drones in May 2025. The flotilla began to set sail late August 2025 with delegations and convoys departing from Malaysia, Genoa, and Barcelona, followed by Catania, Syros, and Tunis early September. Some convoys initially faced temporary stoppages and delayed departures due to high winds and a significant storm. On 3 September, the Italian convoy reached Sicily and Tunisian vessels began converging on Tunis. Four days later, part of the Spanish convoy arrived in northern Tunisia, where in the early hours of 9 September, a fire broke out on one of the main vessels, suspected to be a drone attack. A second incendiary attack was reported the following night an another vessel. By 17 September, the Spanish and Tunisian convoys were approaching Sicily to join up with the Italian fleet. On 19 September, the convoy departed heading east. The initiative has received support from some over a dozen foreign ministers, Italian politicians and political parties, MPs in Spain and Portugal, the President of Colombia Gustavo Petro, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese. In contrast, Israeli minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir has claimed that participants should be imprisoned as terrorists and the Israeli Navy has conducted preparatory maritime drills. The EU Commission has stated that they do not support aid flotillas to Gaza.
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF; Arabic: أسطول الصمود العالمي, romanized: Usṭūl aṣ-Ṣumūd al-ʿĀlamī), sometimes referred to as the Global Freedom Flotilla (أسطول الحرية العالمي, Usṭūl al-Ḥurriyya al-ʿĀlamī), is an international, civil society-led maritime initiative launched in mid-2025, aiming to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.
It is named from ṣumūd, Arabic for ‘steadfastness’ or ‘resilience’. The initiative emerged in July 2025, organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Global Movement to Gaza, and Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, among others, during the Gaza war. The flotilla comprises over 50 vessels with thousands of participants from more than 44 countries. Some attempts to break the Israeli blockade were successful before 2010, but since then ships have been intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces, most recently in June and July, with another vessel attacked by drones in May 2025. The flotilla began to set sail late August 2025 with delegations and convoys departing from Malaysia, Genoa, and Barcelona, followed by Catania, Syros, and Tunis early September. Some convoys initially faced temporary stoppages and delayed departures due to high winds and a significant storm. On 3 September, the Italian convoy reached Sicily and Tunisian vessels began converging on Tunis. Four days later, part of the Spanish convoy arrived in northern Tunisia, where in the early hours of 9 September, a fire broke out on one of the main vessels, suspected to be a drone attack. A second incendiary attack was reported the following night an another vessel. By 17 September, the Spanish and Tunisian convoys were approaching Sicily to join up with the Italian fleet. On 19 September, the convoy departed heading east. The initiative has received support from some over a dozen foreign ministers, Italian politicians and political parties, MPs in Spain and Portugal, the President of Colombia Gustavo Petro, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese. In contrast, Israeli minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir has claimed that participants should be imprisoned as terrorists and the Israeli Navy has conducted preparatory maritime drills. The EU Commission has stated that they do not support aid flotillas to Gaza.
Global Sumud Flotilla
Footage from another boat of our Flotilla shows the exact moment the Family Boat was struck from above
Incendiary Munitions Strike Gaza-bound Flotilla Two Nights in a Row
Greta Thunberg: “Keep Your Eyes on Gaza”
Israëlische militairen enteren schepen van de Global Sumud Flotilla
Onderschepping van Global Sumud Flotilla toont Israëls vastberadenheid tot uithongering Palestijnen
With One Voice, the Whole World Stood with Palestine
Gegevens