‘To challenge deadly blockade’: New flotilla mission sets sail for Gaza

Human rights advocates call for diplomatic measures to guarantee flotilla safety and end Israel’s deadly Gaza blockade.

Freedom Flotilla activists onboard a dinghy reach the ship Madleen to set sail for Gaza, while the crowd on the quay cheers and waves flags in solidarity on June 1, 2025, in Catania, Italy [Fabrizio Villa/Getty]

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has announced that a new international mission is under way, with vessels stopping at European ports ahead of its attempt to reach Gaza’s shores in October.

The coalition said in a statement that the mission to “challenge Israel’s illegal and deadly blockade of Gaza” would go ahead despite the violence Israeli forces inflicted on flotilla volunteers and activists, such as documented cases of severe beatings, repeated tasering and sexual assault.

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It added that “action is needed now more than ever as much of the world has moved on from Gaza” since the announcement of a ceasefire in October 2025.

According to the statement, two vessels have already set out. Handala II sailed around Scandinavia in June and July, stopping in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, while the ship Kate departed Bristol, UK, earlier this month and has since called at ports in Ireland, Germany and France.

Stops in Spain, Portugal and Italy are planned before the flotilla continues towards Gaza, the mission added.

“The Freedom Flotilla sails again because our governments continue to fail to uphold their obligations,” said Zohar Chamberlain Regev, an FFC Steering Committee member.

“At every port, we will carry the demand that Palestinians be free to live with dignity,” he added.

Human rights advocates, peace activists, elected representatives, journalists, medical professionals and advocates for Palestinian rights have joined the new flotilla.

The coalition is calling on governments to guarantee safe passage for the flotilla, press Israel to end its obstruction of food, water and medicine into Gaza, declare that any attack or seizure of the vessels will trigger diplomatic consequences and use diplomatic and economic measures to end the blockade.

“We know that sailing toward Gaza carries serious risks,” said Edward Digilio, an engineer from Maryland taking part in the mission. “But silence and inaction carry a much greater cost for Palestinians and the world.”

Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla, is escorted by prison service guards to a hearing at the District Court in Ashkelon, Israel, on May 3, 2026 [Ohad Zwigenberg/AP]

Pattern of Israeli interception and abuse

The coalition traces its roots to 2010, when Israeli forces killed 10 activists on board the Mavi Marmara during a flotilla attempt, and to the Free Gaza Movement’s first voyages in 2008.

Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla twice within the past year, detaining more than 450 participants in October 2025 — including South African author Zukiswa Wanner and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela — and about 175 more in April 2026.

Amnesty International said it documented sleep deprivation, denial of water and medical care, and other ill-treatment of activists held by Israel after intercepting and storming the ships.

Two activists, Thiago Avila and Saif Abukeshek, were held incommunicado for days in April this year and had their detention extended partly on secret evidence before being deported.

Freedom Flotilla activists pose before delivering a statement at Dublin Airport, Ireland, on May 23, 2026, after their release by Israel, which intercepted their ships as they attempted to break the Gaza siege [Natalia Campos/Getty]

Humanitarian conditions in Gaza

The mission joins many other aid groups who have described Gaza’s humanitarian situation as reaching crisis levels despite the ceasefire.

UNICEF estimates that more than 82 percent of families remain water insecure and roughly 90 percent of water and sanitation infrastructure is destroyed.

Israel has continued to target hospitals, aid warehouses and medical supply sites in Gaza in recent weeks.

Gaza’s Health Ministry has recorded more than 1,300 deaths from Israeli fire since the truce took effect in October, alongside thousands still missing or believed trapped under rubble.

人权倡导者呼吁采取外交措施，保障船队安全，并结束以色列对加沙地带的致命封锁。

2025年6月1日，在意大利卡塔尼亚，自由船队的积极分子乘坐小艇抵达“玛德琳”号船，准备启航前往加沙，码头上的人群欢呼雀跃，挥舞旗帜表示声援。[Fabrizio Villa/Getty]

自由船队联盟（FFC）宣布，一项新的国际任务正在进行中，船只将在10月份尝试抵达加沙海岸之前停靠欧洲港口。

该联盟在一份声明中表示，尽管以色列军队对船队志愿者和活动人士施加了暴力，例如有记录在案的严重殴打、反复电击和性侵犯，但“挑战以色列对加沙的非法和致命封锁”的任务仍将继续进行。

列表 1/3：一艘船从布里斯托尔起航，旨在打破以色列对加沙的封锁。

名单2/3：四名加沙援助船队活动人士从利比亚拘留所获释

名单3/3“积极参与抵制、撤资、制裁运动”：文件揭露以色列如何审查全球非政府组织

声明还补充说，自 2025 年 10 月宣布停火以来，“世界大部分地区已经不再关注加沙，因此现在比以往任何时候都更需要采取行动”。

声明称，已有两艘船只启航。“汉达拉二号”于六月和七月在斯堪的纳维亚半岛航行，先后停靠挪威、瑞典和丹麦；而“凯特号”则于本月初从英国布里斯托尔出发，此后先后停靠了爱尔兰、德国和法国的港口。

特派团补充说，船队计划在西班牙、葡萄牙和意大利停留，然后再继续前往加沙。

“自由船队再次启航，是因为我们的政府继续未能履行其义务，”自由船队指导委员会成员佐哈尔·张伯伦·雷格夫说道。

他补充说：“我们将在每个港口提出要求，让巴勒斯坦人享有自由和尊严的生活。”

人权倡导者、和平活动家、民选代表、记者、医疗专业人员和巴勒斯坦权利倡导者都加入了这支新的船队。

该联盟呼吁各国政府保证船队安全通行，敦促以色列停止对加沙食品、水和药品的封锁，并宣布任何袭击或扣押船只的行为都将引发外交后果，同时采取外交和经济措施结束封锁。

“我们知道驶向加沙地带风险极大，”参与此次任务的马里兰州工程师爱德华·迪吉利奥说，“但沉默和不作为对巴勒斯坦人和全世界而言代价更大。”

2026年5月3日，巴西活动家蒂亚戈·阿维拉（Thiago Ávila）是全球苏穆德船队（Global Sumud Flotilla）的成员，他被监狱警卫押送至以色列阿什凯隆地区法院参加听证会。[Ohad Zwigenberg/AP]

以色列拦截和滥用行为的模式

该联盟的起源可以追溯到 2010 年，当时以色列军队在一次船队行动中杀害了“马维·马尔马拉”号上的 10 名活动人士，以及自由加沙运动在 2008 年的首次航行。

在过去一年中，以色列军队两次拦截了“全球苏穆德号”船队，在 2025 年 10 月拘留了 450 多名参与者，其中包括南非作家祖基斯瓦·瓦纳和纳尔逊·曼德拉的孙子曼德拉·曼德拉，并在 2026 年 4 月又拘留了约 175 人。

国际特赦组织表示，他们记录了以色列在拦截并强行登上船只后，扣押的活动人士遭受的睡眠剥夺、水和医疗保健的剥夺以及其他虐待。

今年四月，两名活动人士蒂亚戈·阿维拉和赛义夫·阿布克谢克被单独监禁数日，他们的拘留期限部分因秘密证据而被延长，之后被驱逐出境。

2026 年 5 月 23 日，自由船队成员在爱尔兰都柏林机场发表声明前合影。此前，以色列在他们试图突破加沙封锁时拦截了他们的船只，并将他们释放。[Natalia Campos/Getty]

加沙人道主义状况

该特派团与许多其他援助组织一道，指出尽管实现了停火，加沙的人道主义局势已达到危机水平。

联合国儿童基金会估计，超过 82% 的家庭仍然面临用水不安全问题，大约 90% 的供水和卫生基础设施遭到破坏。

近几周来，以色列继续以加沙的医院、援助仓库和医疗用品供应点为袭击目标。

自 10 月份停火生效以来，加沙卫生部记录了超过 1300 人死于以色列的炮火，另有数千人仍然失踪或被认为被困在废墟下。