‘Calm Seas and Fair Winds’ for The Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza

IMAGE: Saif Abukeshek, member of the Global Sumud Flotilla Steering Committee

Last week, for our midweek edition of 21WIRE LIVE, host Patrick Henningsen was talking to guest Saif Abukeshek, from the Global Sumud Flotilla  (GSF) Steering Committee, in support of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. He was joined by Associate Editor for Global Affairs, Freddie Ponton, to discuss the current situation after Israel hijacked and abducted the crew of the “Handala” on its humanitarian mission to Gaza. On Monday, during a press conference in Tunis, GSF announced the biggest fleet of ships to break the illegal blockade of Gaza amid a 17-year blockade, and a cruel 22-month-long genocide committed by Israel and its western allies. 

DOCUMENT: The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) announces its mission to Gaza on Monday, 4 August, during a press conference in Tunis.
The Global Sumud Flotilla

According to their website, “The Global Sumud Flotilla is a coalition of everyday people—organisers, humanitarians, doctors, artists, clergy, lawyers, and seafarers—who believe in human dignity and the power of nonviolent action—they are independent, international, and unaffiliated with any government or political party, and their allegiance is to justice, freedom, and the sanctity of human life.” The Sumoud flotilla organisers are urging government officials throughout the region to join the largest aid fleet ever heading to Gaza next month. The organisers are optimistic that influential individuals from the region—especially those who have openly shown their support for Palestine—will take this opportunity to jump on board this unprecedented initiative.

“Silence today is an active participation in the genocide. Whoever doesn’t take a stand against the genocide is complicit in Israel’s crimes,”said Saif Abu Keshek, a Palestinian member of the Global Sumud Flotilla Sumoud Steering Committee.

Organisers stated that the convoy will consist of dozens of vessels. “Each boat symbolises a community and a determination to not remain silent in the presence of genocide,” said Wael Naouar, a prominent figure of the GSF campaign.

VIDEO: The Global Summit Flotilla (GSF) press conference in Tunis, Monday, 4 August (Source:@schweizer.mel/Instagram)

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Yemna Salmi and Tarek Chouiref report for Anadolu Agency…

Massive civilian flotilla set to sail for Gaza late August to break Israeli siege

Activists from 44 countries join unprecedented civilian mission to open humanitarian sea corridor for civilians in besieged Gaza

A massive civilian flotilla is set to depart for the Gaza Strip at the end of August in a new bid to break Israel’s blockade that has left the territory’s entire population on the verge of famine.

Speaking at a press conference in Tunis hosted by the Joint Action Coordination for Palestine, a civil society coordination platform, members of the Global Sumud Flotilla said activists from 44 countries have signed up for the coordinated effort.

“This summer, dozens of boats, both large and small, will set sail from ports across the world, converging on Gaza in the largest civilian flotilla of its kind in history,” said organizer Haifa Mansouri.

The flotilla brings together four initiatives: the Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, the Global Movement to Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and Sumud Nusantara. Their united aim, Mansouri said, is to “break the illegal blockade on Gaza by sea, establish a humanitarian corridor, and confront the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.”

The first convoy will leave Spanish ports on Aug. 31, followed by a second from Tunisian ports on Sept. 4.

Seif Abu Keshk, another organiser, said more than 6,000 activists have already registered online to join.

“Participants will undergo training at departure points, with solidarity events and encampments planned along the way,” he added. “This is a renewed attempt to pressure governments by sending dozens of ships and thousands of activists to break Gaza’s blockade,” Abu Keshk continued. 

The announcement comes days after Israeli naval forces intercepted the Handala aid ship on July 26 as it neared Gaza’s shores and escorted it to Ashdod Port. The vessel had reached about 70 nautical miles from Gaza, surpassing the distance covered by the Madleen, which made it 110 miles before being stopped, according to the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 61,000 Palestinians, almost half of them women and children. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

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Source: https://21stcenturywire.com/2025/08/04/calm-seas-and-fair-winds-for-the-global-sumud-flotilla-to-gaza/