Hope and Betrayal Intertwined: The Disappointment of the Global Sumud Flotilla

Fisherman of Gaza, courtesy of Irina Naji

Israel's intensified blockade on Gaza prevents anyone or anything from entering and leaving the besieged enclave; activists, including Swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, took it upon themselves to break the siege. The Global Sumud Flotilla which consisted of over 40 boats and over 500 activists set sail from Spain starting August 30, 2025, joined by other vessels in the Mediterranean Sea on their way to Gaza. Sumud in Arabic translates to “steadfastness,” an ode to the decree and cultural value many Palestinians abide by. Along with Greta Thunberg, the grandson of the late Nelson Mandela, Mandla Mandela was present onboard. 

As the boats made their way towards Gaza, all were intercepted by Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that “attempts to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented.” However, many of the flotilla activists were arrested outside of Israel's jurisdiction and in international waters. By October 3, 2025, all 42 boats were intercepted and 462 people were arrested, including Thunberg. This sparked uproar in European nations, with Italy's largest labor union going on strike in solidarity with the flotilla activists. 

On August 22, 2025, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPR), the world's leading authority on food crises, officially declared a famine in Gaza City. In response, a week later the Sumud Flotilla once again attempted to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza despite previous, unsuccessful missions. The shipment included essential supplies such as baby formula, as mothers are unable to produce milk due to malnutrition, and medicine for hospitals. 94% of hospitals in Gaza have been attacked, severely reducing their capacity to operate. Ghassan Abu Sittah, a doctor who served in Gaza during early 2023, described the destruction of the hospital infrastructure as a “self fulfilling catastrophe.”

However, one vessel, the Mikeno, sailed extremely close to the coast of Gaza, attracting hopeful Palestinians, but soon it was intercepted by Israel, entering waters only 9 miles from the coast of Gaza—the closest of any boat. 

The Global Sumud flotilla’s mission aimed to deliver food to the Palestinians and raise awareness to the humanitarian crisis, plight of the millions of Palestinians and building international solidarity. This was not Greta Thunberg's first attempt to sail to Gaza; she previously joined the Freedom Flotilla mission in June of 2025 aboard the Madleen, honoring Gaza’s first female fisherwoman Madleen Kolab.

Since 2007, Gaza has been under an air, land, and sea blockade, making it extremely difficult to enter and leave without authorization from Israel. In early 2024, Israel started to occupy Gaza’s land after 17 years, tightening the already existing blockade, which led to increased isolation from the outside world. Additionally, Gaza’s fishing industry has been particularly affected as fishermen are unable to fish beyond the restricted access zone and often harassed by Israeli soldiers. Much of the fishing infrastructure has been decimated by attacks on the Gaza strip, leaving 90% of fishermen in Gaza unable to work due to fear of retribution. Mohammaed Habil, a local fisherman, said “the flotilla gave us hope, but not fuel, not food, not freedom, as the Israeli occupation prevented it from reaching us, like it always does.”

For the fishermen, hope does not fill their nets. While the flotilla symbolized global solidarity from the global community that they were not forgotten, the fishermen felt betrayed by an international community they thought should have intervened. In his disappointment, a local fisherman, Osama Miqdad, described the flotilla as a “media event” that “did not change their circumstances.”  

The flotilla made further headlines when Israeli authorities began to board the ships, which was broadcasted live from cameras. Thunberg was detained along with 500 other activists and reported to Swedish officials that she was facing mistreatment while in Israeli custody. She claimed that she was held in a cell infested with bedbugs and not provided ample food or water. Other flotilla members alleged that Thunberg was “dragged by her hair, beaten, and forced to kiss the Israeli flag.” Lawyers representing the activists from the NGO Adalah, an independent human rights organization based in Israel, said that the detainees were denied their right to due process.

Israeli minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited Ashdod where the activists were being detained and referred to them as terrorists: “These are the terrorists of the flotilla” he said, pointing towards  the activists. Ben-Gvir also made calls for the detainees to be imprisoned in Israel rather than deported.

Following Thunberg's arrest and deportation, U.S. President Donald Trump commented online, calling her “just a troublemaker” and claiming that “she has an anger management problem, she should see a doctor.” Thunberg responded on Instagram saying “judging by your impressive track record, you must be suffering from [anger management] too.”

Thunberg later held a press conference where she redirected the focus to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. When asked about her imprisonment in Israel, she refused to comment in detail, saying “I don’t want to share what I was subjected to because I don’t want it to make headlines…what we went through is nothing compared to what people in Gaza experience daily.”

The Sumud Flotilla ultimately failed to achieve its goal of reaching the people of Gaza. Its mission was a double edged sword: seemingly futile, yet also hopeful, with one vessel making it within 9 miles from Gaza's shores. The sensationalization of activists like Greta Thunberg revealed that people’s attention is misdirected. Gaza has been under a blockade by Israel since 2007, ever since Hamas took control of the strip. What this failed flotilla mission unveils is that international law is withering away. What once laid and established the humanitarian groundwork for the protection of citizens has lost much power now. If Gaza continues to be closed off to the international community, the legitimacy of international law is at risk.