| Blockade of the Gaza Strip |
|---|
Gaza Freedom Flotilla vessels and convoys have attempted to break theblockade of Gaza since 2010. Thefirst flotilla with six ships was launched by what would then become theFreedom Flotilla Coalition. It was subsequentlyraided by Israeli forces.
Since 2010, attempts from theFreedom Flotilla II in 2011,Freedom Flotilla III in 2015,Women's Boat to Gaza in 2016, Just Future for Palestine Flotilla in2018, and flotillas inJune andJuly 2025, have all been intercepted, raided or attacked by Israeli forces.
In August 2025, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition joined theGlobal Sumud Flotilla, and began launching a series of flotilla convoys towards Gaza.
In 2008, the first ships to breach theIsraeli blockade of the Gaza Strip were launched by theFree Gaza Movement. Founded during the2006 Lebanon War, activists launched 31 boats from 2008 to 2016, with five that succeeded in reaching Gaza.[1]
The 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla was a smallfleet of ships by theFree Gaza Movement and the TurkishFoundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH). The Flotilla mission to Gaza had the explicit goal of carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials with the intention of breaking the Israeliblockade of the Gaza Strip.[2][3][4] In typical circumstances, aid is first brought to Israel to be inspected and then transferred to Gaza.[5]
On 31 May 2010, Israeli forcesboarded the ships in a raid from speedboats and helicopters. Following resistance on one of the boats, nine activists were killed by Israeli forces. Widespreadinternational condemnation of and reaction to the raid followed,Israel–Turkey relations were strained, and Israel subsequently eased its blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Six civilian ships of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla were raided by Israel on 31 May 2010 ininternational waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine of theflotilla passengers were killed during the raid, with 30 wounded (including one who later died of his wounds).[6][7] Ten Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously. The exact sequence of events is contested, in part due to the IDF's confiscation of the passengers' photographic evidence.[8] The flotilla, organized by theFree Gaza Movement and the TurkishFoundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH), was carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials, intending to break the Israeli navalblockade of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Navy warned the flotilla via radio to stop approaching the naval blockade and to change course to theport of Ashdod. This request was denied and on 31 May 2010, IsraeliShayetet 13 naval commandos boarded the ships in international waters from speedboats[9] and helicopters. Aboard the Turkish shipMVMavi Marmara, the Israeli Navy faced resistance from about 40 of the 590 passengers, including IHH activists[10] who were said to be armed with iron bars and knives.[11] During the struggle,nine activists were killed, including eightTurkish nationals and oneTurkish American, and many were wounded.[12] On 23 May 2014, a tenth member of the flotilla died in hospital after being in a coma for four years.[13] Ten of the commandos were also wounded, one of them seriously.[11][14]
According to aUnited Nations Human Rights Council report, all activist deaths were caused by gunshots, and "the circumstances of the killing of at least six of the passengers were in a manner consistent with an extra-legal, arbitrary and summary execution."[15] The five other ships in the flotilla employedpassive resistance, which was suppressed without major incident. According to the UNHRC report, several of the passengers were injured and the leg of one was fractured.[15] The ships were towed to Israel. Some passengers were deported immediately, while about 600 were detained after they refused to sign deportation orders; a few of them were slated for prosecution. After international criticism, all of the detained activists were also deported.[16][17] The raid drewwidespread condemnation internationally, resulted in a deterioration ofIsrael–Turkey relations, and Israel subsequently eased its blockade on the Gaza Strip.[18]
There were several probes into the incident. AUNHRC report in September 2010 deemed the raid illegal and stated that Israel's actions were "disproportionate" and "betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality", with evidence of "wilful killing".United Nations Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon announced a parallel probe in August 2010 by a four-member panel headed byGeoffrey Palmer. The Palmer report was published in September 2011 and also concluded that the raid was illegal.[19][20] The report stated that the degree of force used against theMavi Marmara was "excessive and unreasonable",[21] and that the way Israel treated detained crew members violated international human rights law.[21] In response to the raid, Israel offered Turkey $20 million in compensation,[22] which was discussed in March 2013,[23][24] with an agreement finalized in June 2016.[25]"Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human"[26] was aflotilla that planned to break themaritime blockade of theGaza Strip by Israel by sailing to Gaza on 5 July 2011. Ultimately, the sailing did not take place.[27]
The flotilla was organized by a coalition of 22 NGOs. Its name refers to theMay 2010 sailing of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which had beenraided by Israeli forces, killing a number of activists. Their stated goal was to end the blockade of Gaza "completely and permanently".[28] Initially, 10 ships, with 1,000 activists[29] were set to sail for Gaza, but by 28 June 2011, thenumber of expected participants had decreased to fewer than 300, plus a few dozen journalists, and by 7 July all but a few dozen activists had returned home.[30][31]
The flotilla was publicly opposed by the United States, France, the United Kingdom,Turkey, Canada, theMiddle East Quartet (consisting of the EU, Russia, the United Nations, and the United States), andUnited Nations Secretary GeneralBan Ki-moon. It was publicly supported byHamas.[32]
Activists on two ships, one in Greece and one in Turkey, found similar damage to their propeller shafts, and claimed that the ships had been sabotaged by Israel.[33] It was reported that the investigation by Turkish authorities on one of the ships determined that there may have been no sabotage at all, and that any damage happened before the boat arrived in Turkey, but these media reports appeared prior to the formal investigation beginning and the Turkish coastguard enquiry has yet to announce its findings. The media reports were disputed by Irish Ship to Gaza, the owner of the vessel.[34][35][36] Greece forbade the vessels from leaving its ports, citing safety concerns,[37] but offered to instead send any humanitarian aid to Gaza in its own vessels, under United Nations supervision. Greece's offer was supported by Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the United Nations, but rejected by the flotilla activists.[38][39] Subsequently, two flotilla ships, theAudacity of Hope andTahrir, disobeyed Greece's orders. They were intercepted by the Greek coast guard, brought back to shore, and a few activists were arrested. Activists responded by occupying the Spanish embassy in Athens.[40]
Only the French shipDignité Al Karama managed to approach Gaza. They advised the Greek authorities that their destination was the Egyptian port ofAlexandria,[41] and then turned toward Gaza.[42] On 19 July, the ship was intercepted and boarded without incident by Israeli commandos and escorted to the Israeli port ofAshdod.[43]Freedom Flotilla III (#FF3) was aflotilla that planned to break theblockade of theGaza Strip byIsrael by sailing to Gaza. It started fromSweden on 10 May 2015 and stopped in several European cities along the way to Gaza. It started officially fromAthens,Greece on 25 June 2015.[44] Few details were released in advance.[45]
On 29 June 2015 the Swedish-flagged vessel "Marianne" was intercepted by the Israeli navy[46] in international waters about 100 nautical miles from the Palestinian coast ofGaza. The Israeli military reported that no force was needed during the operation. However, eye-witness video published by IsraeliChannel 2 TV shows people being tasered byIDF commandos.[47] TheMarianne was boarded by Israeli forces and taken to theport of Ashdod, while the rest of the ships turned back.[48]
Organizers of the flotilla have repeatedly stated the boat was carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza. According to Israel's defense ministerMoshe Yaalon "there was no aid on board". The activists supplied a picture with two boxes containing a singlesolar panel and anebulizer and added that the boat was to be donated to Gazan fishermen.[49]
On 30 June 2015, Israel began releasing some detainees. Former Tunisian PresidentMoncef Marzouki was deported toParis, France, while Member of European ParliamentAna Miranda fromGalicia was deported toSpain.Arab Member of the IsraeliKnessetBasel Ghattas, and Israeli journalistOhad Chamo, were released.[50] Two Canadians and a Norwegian sailor were deported on July 2.[51] A Russian journalist and six Swedish participants remained in prison until July 6.[52]The Just Future for Palestine Flotilla, JFP Flotilla or 2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla was another attempt to challenge theIsraeliblockade of theGaza Strip. The flotilla consisted of two shipsAl Awda (The Return) andFreedom and two yachtsMairead andFalestine. On 29 July and 3 August 2018, bothAl Awda andFreedom were seized by theIsraeli Navy. The activists were arrested and some reported they weretasered, and beaten. Most were deported to their home countries.[60][61][62]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to itadding to it ormaking an edit request.(September 2025) |
In the early morning on 2 May 2025, a vessel organized by theFreedom Flotilla Coalition, carrying 16 to 30[a] human rights activists and humanitarian aid destined for theGaza Strip, was attacked by drones ininternational waters off the coast ofMalta. The incident occurred approximately 14–17 nautical miles (26–31 km) from Malta, outside itsterritorial waters.[64][65][66] There is no independent confirmation of the nature of the incident,[67] althoughCyprus responded by dispatching a rescue boat, and theArmed Forces of Malta (AFM) sent a patrol boat to assist with extinguishing the fire.[64][68][69][70]
Maltese authorities offered assistance, but insisted on inspecting the vessel first. The captain declined the offer.[71]
TheGlobal Sumud Flotilla (GSF;Arabic:أسطول الصمود العالمي,romanized: Usṭūl aṣ-Ṣumūd al-ʿĀlamī), sometimes referred to as the Global Freedom Flotilla[86][87] (أسطول الحرية العالمي,Usṭūl al-Ḥurriyya al-ʿĀlamī), was an international, civil society-led maritime initiative launched in mid-2025, which attempted to break theIsraeli blockade of the Gaza Strip but was thwarted in an intercept byIsraeli naval forces. It is named forṣumūd,Arabic for 'steadfastness' or 'resilience'.[88] The initiative emerged in July 2025, organised by theFreedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC),Global Movement to Gaza,Maghreb Sumud Flotilla andSumud Nusantara, during theGaza war. The flotilla comprised over 40 vessels with 500 participants from more than 44 countries, making it the largest civilian-led convoy of its kind in history. Some attempts to break the Israeli blockade were successful before 2010, but since then ships have been intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces, including anattack by drones in May 2025 and interceptions in international waters inJune andJuly 2025. By early 3 October, Israel had intercepted all vessels of the flotilla, after drone attacks had been reported, andnaval vessels dispatched to provide assistance.[89] The flotilla was the first unauthorized naval humanitarian mission to come within 70nautical miles (130 km) of the Gaza coast since the imposition of the blockade in 2009.
The flotilla began to set sail late August 2025 with delegations and convoys departingOtranto,Genoa andBarcelona, followed byCatania,Syros andTunis early September. On 3 September, the Italian convoy reachedSicily 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 on another vessel. On 19 September, the Spanish and Tunisian convoys, having merged in Sicily, departed heading towards Greece. On 22 September, the Greek convoy then departed from Milos heading towardsCrete, arriving the following day. On the night of 24 September, eleven vessels were attacked by drones. On 28 September, with the convoys merged in Crete, the flotilla departed to continue its journey towards Gaza. Between 1 and 2 October, the Israeli Navy intercepted the ships, detaining hundreds of people. In the evening of the interception, spontaneous protest took place across various locations in Europe in response. Three days later, 42 detainees began ahunger strike in protest, and by 6 October, over a hundred activists had been deported from Israel. Participants reported mistreatment during detention, that was dismissed by theIsraeli foreign ministry, and the interception was condemned by several political figures. On 8 October, a subsequent flotilla consisting of 9 ships, organised by FFC andThousand Madleens to Gaza, was intercepted with participants detained about 120 nautical miles from Gaza.
The initiative received support from over a dozenforeign ministers, Italian politicians and political parties, MPs in Spain and Portugal, thePresident of ColombiaGustavo Petro, and theUN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories,Francesca Albanese. In contrast, Israeli minister of national securityItamar Ben-Gvir stated that participants should be imprisoned asterrorists and the Israeli foreign ministry vowed to stop the flotilla. In response to attacks on the flotilla, theItalian ministry of defense sentItalian Navy ships to assist the flotilla and Spanish Prime MinisterPedro Sánchez dispatched aSpanish Navy vessel in case of a rescue operation. With the navy vessels retreating as the flotilla reached closer to Gaza, theMinistry of National Defense of Turkey confirmed it would continue to ensure the safety of the flotilla if required. TheEuropean Commission stated that it does not support aid flotillas to Gaza.A new flotilla of 9 ships,[90] organised by theFreedom Flotilla Coalition andThousand Madleens to Gaza, sailed towards Gaza during late September/early October 2025. The flotilla included about 150 participants altogether. One of the ships was the 68-metre-long[91]Conscience,[92] which washit by drones in May 2025 near Malta while en route to Gaza carrying aid.[93]
Conscience[page needed] left the port ofOtranto on 30 September[94] or 1 October,[90] carrying about a hundred activists, including doctors, nurses, other health workers, journalists, lawyers, Turkish members of parliament, and a Buddhist monk.[94] On 3 October, the nine[90] ship flotilla was near the coast of Crete. On 7 October, Italian MPMarco Croatti, member of theFive Star Movement (MV5S) and participant of the Global Sumud Flotilla asked the Italian government to protect the Italian participants of the initiative.[95]
| Boat | MMSI |
|---|---|
| Abd Elkarim Eid | |
| Alaa Al-Najjar | |
| Anas Al Sharif | |
| Conscience | 550071155[91] |
| Gaza Sunbird | |
| Leïla Khaled | |
| Milad | |
| Soul of My Soul | |
| Umm Saad |
On 8 October 2025, the Israeli military attacked, intercepted and boarded all nine boats about 120 nautical miles from Gaza, in international waters, and detained the passengers. The boarding of one of the boats was live-streamed, showing the moment when a soldier damaged a camera by hitting it with a machine gun.[96][97]This was the second interception of its kind within one week.[98]
Response to the interception
Italy: on Wednesday 8 October there have been protests in the cities ofNaples,Bologna,Rome,Milan (At least 8,000 protesters),Turin,Salerno and other cities.[99][100][101][102]
France: demonstrators rallied inParis on Wednesday to demand the release of the activists detained by Israel.[103]The decision to deport the hundreds of foreign activists was announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided late Tuesday, in the face of mounting world criticism of Monday's assault
"Israel had said it will not prosecute dozens of activists detained in the raid, opting instead to deport them all immediately in an apparent effort to limit the diplomatic damage from the raid.
'second such event in recent days' (paragraph 5)
| Genocidal acts |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intent and inctiment | |||||||
| Recognition anddenial | |||||||
| Support to Israel |
| ||||||
| Humanitarian aid | |||||||
| Advocacy | |||||||
| Protests |
| ||||||
| Intervention | |||||||
| Legal cases | |||||||
| Related topics | |||||||
