This article was written by Madeline From on SubStack, for The Borders in Motion Project.
Since June 2007, Gaza has been under a land, sea, and air blockade by Israel. Though Israeli occupation dates back to 1967, the intensified restrictions came after a military takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas. In the name of security, Israel’s response effectively isolated Gaza from the rest of Palestinian territory and the world. Since then, the blockade has attracted significant attention due to its humanitarian ramifications. Over 80% of Gazans rely on international humanitarian aid to survive, the city has one of the world’s highest unemployment rates at around 79.7%, and the area is gripped by severe famine– surpassing all three famine thresholds (catastrophic hunger, acute malnutrition, and mass death).
On March 2, 2025, Israel reimposed a total blockade of humanitarian and commercial goods on the Gaza Strip after they failed to come to an agreement with Hamas on a temporary ceasefire. In the months that followed, little-to-no aid has been permitted into Gaza, creating a deadly cycle of malnutrition, disease, and civilian suffering. The international community remains divided or ineffective: the UN Security Council fails to reach consensus on how to proceed regarding Israel-Palestine; the US has called for humanitarian aid to Gaza but continues to support Israel militarily; Israel maintains that the blockade is necessary to prevent Hamas from importing weapons. In short, hands are tied at the global governmental and bureaucratic level.
So how are people taking action?
Amidst this standoff, a movement of international grassroots activism is sweeping across the Mediterranean. The largest coordinated civilian flotilla in history– over 50 civilian ships with hundreds of volunteers– is converging at sea in an attempt to break the blockade. The Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of relatively small ships captained by activists from around the world, is sailing to Gaza as a means of nonviolent protest. Departing in waves from Spain, Tunisia, Sicily, and beyond, the flotilla represents a joint effort from groups like the Global Movement to Gaza, Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Thousand Madleens to Gaza, Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, and Sumud Nusantara. A joint statement asserts, “Our ships may sail under different names, but our destination is the same: freedom, dignity, and justice for the people of Gaza.”
As the Sumud Flotilla ships continue advancing towards Gaza, reports are emerging of communications jamming, drone attacks, and warnings from the Israeli government, on the grounds that it is a front for Hamas efforts. The danger of the journey for volunteers is real. Nonetheless, the fleets are determined to proceed– following the example of prior flotillas which pointedly prioritized solidarity above success.
What is the history of flotillas sailing to Gaza?
Flotillas have been a method of protesting the blockade of Gaza since its inception in 2007. The first and most successful instance occurred in August 2008, when forty-four volunteers from 17 countries departed from Cyprus to Gaza as part of the Free Gaza Movement. They were welcomed to shore by tens of thousands of Palestinians waiting at the docks, and spent days visiting hospitals and schools to deliver hearing aids, medicine, and other supplies. This was the first time in over 40 years that an international ship docked at Gaza. However, the initial success did not last. Al Jazeera reports that, “Since 2010, all flotillas attempting to break the Gaza blockade have been intercepted or attacked by Israel in international waters.”
Some of the controversy and criticism surrounding activist flotillas argue that they have limited practical effectiveness, can escalate tenuous situations, and pose serious risks to participants. Indeed, there are numerous examples of flotillas failing. The Freedom Flotilla of 2010, when the Turkish NGO ship the Mavi Marmara sailed towards Gaza with over 100 tons of humanitarian aid and 600 passengers, ended in a violent clash. Israeli commandos boarded and raided the vessel in international waters, killing 10 Turkish activists (one Turkish-American) and injuring dozens more. Additional flotilla attempts in 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2018 all ended in interception and deportation of the crew by Israeli authorities. This past summer, on May 2, 2025, another ‘Break the Siege’ vessel named the Conscience was attacked by drones off the coast of Malta and set ablaze– injuring four volunteers and critically damaging the ship.
Nevertheless, activists continue to accept the risks of protesting the blockade. They face detention, deportation, drone strikes, and potential violent conflict. And yet volunteers are adamant that the importance of their mission outweighs the costs. During her time aboard the Freedom Flotilla Commission’s Madleen in June 2025, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg asserted that
“It’s something that we just simply have to do. We cannot sit around, do nothing, and watch this live-streamed genocide unfold in front of our very eyes. So we are doing this because we are human beings who care about justice. And when our complicit governments fail to step up, it falls on us, unfortunately, to do so.”
Similarly, when the Handala flotilla was intercepted and seized in July, American volunteer and human rights lawyer Frank Romano reported:
“It is urgent for the world to come together to end the occupation– in Gaza, the West Bank, and all of Palestine. These are desperate times, and we must take desperate actions. My life is only a vehicle– this is not about me, but about shedding light on Gaza.”
Reactions from government officials are mixed. For instance, US Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted regarding the Madleen, “Hope Greta and her friends can swim!” in response to reports of drone strikes near the vessel. Conversely, Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris described these vessels as “an incredible, unarmed civilian effort to do good.”
Why do the flotillas persist?
People are unsatisfied with what they see as government inaction or ineffectiveness in the face of an urgent crisis. Just last week, UN legal experts formally declared that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. For those who agree with this assertion, the lack of concrete action by their governments is astounding. Flotilla leader David Adler writes:
“In the two years since the attacks of 7 October, we have scrolled through countless images of senseless slaughter and felt powerless to stop it… That is why so many millions of ordinary people are taking to the streets, from New York to London and beyond: to exhort their representatives to listen to the conscience of their constituents and respond to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis with the urgency it requires” (The Guardian).
Despite risks, thousands of civilians from around the world are utilizing flotillas as a means to take action– maneuvering within the bounds of international law in an attempt to bring pressure and visibility to Gaza. At this very moment, the Mediterranean is alive with activists protesting the perceived complacency of global powers in the face of a humanitarian and human rights crisis. The intricacies of maritime and international law being brought to bear, Italian and Spanish naval ships are assembling to protect flotillas in international waters, and Israel has made it clear that it “will not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow the breach of a lawful naval blockade” (per the Israeli Foreign Ministry).
The sea has become an informal, complex battleground between state and non-state actors contesting state sovereignty, human rights protection, and the role of grassroots action. If government action remains limited to blanket proclamations and ordinances that change nothing for both Israelis and Palestinians, non-state actors will continue to act on their own.