Global Sumud Flotilla, Largest Maritime Mission With The Ambition Of Reaching Gaza

JAKARTA- Israel intercepted a number of Global Sumud Flotilla vessels on Wednesday (1/10/2025). They detained a number of activists, including Greta Thunberg from Sweden.

Global Sumud Flotilla or GSF has recently caught the world's attention. Using dozens of ships, they made various efforts to send aid to Gaza's territory. They tried to penetrate Israel's maritime blockade.

GSF is not owned by a particular country, but is filled by ordinary people, including activists from 44 countries who sailed to Gaza with aid.

After the Israeli vs Hamas war broke out on October 7, 2023, until now Israel continues to blockade humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Gazans are in the threat of starvation. In August 2025, the United Nations (UN) declared around 500 thousand people in Gaza to experience acute hunger and declared this a way of hunger.

This situation has made activists from various countries form the GSF in May 2025.

The Global Fleet of Sumud Flotilla is being proposed as the largest maritime mission to Gaza, consisting of more than 50 ships and at least 44 countries.

Swedish activity Greta Thurnberg joined this mission. Apart from Greta, there are still human rights activists Yasemin Acar, politician and lawyer Melanie Schweizer, as well as a number of activists from other countries who also joined, including Indonesia represented by Wanda Hamidah and Muhammad Fatur Rohman.

Countries from six continents took part in this mission, including Australia, Basil, South Africa, and several European countries.

Those involved in Global Sumud Flotilla are not affiliated with any government or political party.

Quoting the official GSF website, sumud comes from Arabic Somada or in English steadyfastness or resilience which means resilience or determination.

The word is juxtaposed with the term flotilla so that it means global shipping for determination, which not only reflects the mission, but also emphasizes Gaza as a symbol of determination.

"Sumud is a general term used to describe the daily resistance of Palestine without violence against Israeli occupation," the site said.

The first wave, which brought activists, doctors, sailors and humanitarian supplies departed Spain's ports on August 31 to meet with the second wave in Tunisia on September 4.

This mission was organized by groups participating in previous land and sea efforts, including Global Moement to Gaza (GMTG), Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), Maghrib Sumud Flotilla, and Sumud Nusantara where Indonesia and Malaysia are members of it.

Dozens of ships or boats that are members of the GSF wish to deliver important supplies, such as medicines, food, and other materials to areas that are in crisis.

Usually, this mission is carried out through traditional routes such as air and land. But now the route is blocked by Israel.

Since 2007, Israel has strictly controlled Gaza's airspace and Gaza's territorial waters, as well as restricted the movement of goods and humans. Even before the latest war, Gaza did not have a functioning airport after Israel bombed and destroyed Gaza's international airport in 2001, just three years after its opening.

By sending aid by sea, the GSF fleet hopes to face an Israeli blockade directly and says that this siege must end.

However, citing Al Jazeera, Global organizer Sumud Flotilla reported that Israeli naval forces boarded several ships of the GSF fleet about 70 nautical miles (130 km) from Gaza Beach. Not only that, but they also cut off communication and disrupted signals as the fleet approached the blockaded enclave.

Activists, including Greta Thunberg and Nelson Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, were detained and said to have received harsh treatment from the Israeli army.

The Israeli army's action to prevent the entry of aid brought by the GSF sparked the anger of the world community. They considered this a systematic attempt by the Israeli military to extend the coconut disaster in Gaza.

Demonstrations to denounce Israel's actions took place in several countries, including Italy, France, and Spain. The Jewish group of peace lovers and pro-Palestinians also sued the Israeli government for allowing aid convoys to enter Gaza and stop the war.

The United Nations, through the Palestinian Special Reporter, totaling Albanese, confirmed that the Israeli military has no right to intervene in Gaza's territorial waters where the GSF fleet sailed.

The Spanish government asked the Israeli government to open a water blockade so that aid to Palestine could enter. The Turkish and Irish governments want to conduct an investigation under international marine law over the arrests of their activists who join the GSF fleet.