Archiv: Freedom Flotilla Coalition (organization)


27.05.2026 - 18:23 [ Common Dreams ]

Global Sumud Flotilla Urges Probe of US Complicity in Members’ Abduction and Torture by Israel

That vessel, the amphibious landing ship INS Nahshon, was built by Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Louisiana and was fully financed by the US government. GSF activists first became aware of what they now call the “torture boat” when it was used to detain members of the previous Gaza-bound flotilla, dozens of whom required medical attention for broken ribs, noses, and other injuries inflicted by Israeli forces.

This time, according to GSF, “detained humanitarians, doctors, and journalists were processed one by one through a darkened shipping container. Inside, groups of three to five soldiers systematically brutalized each person who came through the door while those waiting outside listened to the screams.”

25.05.2026 - 12:10 [ Global Sumud Flotilla ]

Global Sumud Flotilla Releases Horrific, Newly Emerging Testimonies as Survivors Return Home

May 24, 2026 INTERNATIONAL – As civilian participants from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) begin landing in their respective home countries and some continue their recovery in Istanbul, the full, devastating scale of the violence executed by the israeli Occupation Forces (iOF) is being laid bare. Following the most recent unlawful interception of the flotilla in international waters on 18 May, newly emerging and harrowing testimonies confirm a coordinated campaign of systematic torture, severe physical and psychological trauma, and targeted gender-based and sexual violence.

(The violence reported in this release covers only the second of two illegal israeli interceptions that took place during the Spring 2026 flotilla mission; the first attack took place on 29 April off the coast of Crete, which also had numerous reports of sexual violence, rape and physical injuries including 35 people requiring medical care for broken noses, ribs and injuries from rubber bullets deployed by it iOF.)

25.05.2026 - 12:00 [ Global Sumud Flotilla ]

Global Sumud Flotilla Volunteers Recount Abuse on ‘Torture Boat’

(May 22, 2026)

In what is believed to be the US-built-and-funded INS Nahshon, detainees were “processed” one by one, and taken into darkened containers where groups of iOF commandos brutalised them one by one. Yassine Benjelloun, who had sailed on a previous flotilla mission and expected comparable treatment, described the moment of entry:

„He throws me in a container that is dark, and all of a sudden, I hear, “Welcome to israel. ” And I start getting hit, like first hit on the head, second hit in the ribs, then I fall, then they kick me. And I‘m hearing people screaming, and all of a sudden people stop screaming, and I don‘t see anything, and I don‘t know what‘s going to happen. “ — Yassine Benjelloun

Adrien Berthel, France, described being singled out for targeted humiliation and beating after iOF soldiers noticed he was wearing nail polish and made assumptions about his sexuality.

Veronica Otero, participant number 22 to board, witnessed the processing of nearly all 180 detainees across three days:

„I can say that all were in many ways abused, not one single person walking with nothing. Among them there were 36 fractures, many broken ribs, torso, shoulders, and back. People were in agony. People were not breathing [due to the broken ribs]. „— Veronica Otero

At least 12 sexual assaults have been documented on that vessel alone, including anal rape and forcible penetration by a handgun. iOF soldiers tased volunteers in the face, neck and body, the strikes multiplying with each new group brought in. Multiple volunteers report being photographed during strip searches and guards laughing throughout.

22.05.2026 - 13:50 [ Ounka / X ]

A Global Sumud Flotilla participant just testified from the depths of an Israeli detention center

„I was illegally kidnapped by Israel – like 425 other people.“

„Handcuffs on my hands and feet. Dragged me. When I couldn‘t walk, they dragged me on the ground.“

„They hit us. Hurt all of us a lot. Handcuffs so tight my hands lost feeling.“

„They laughed all the time. Super sadistic.“

„Took off my shirt. Took pictures. Mistreated us all night long.“

Then she delivered her message to the world:

„Shame on you. Shame on all of you. Shame on every government that keeps trading with Israel. My government is complicit. Europe is complicit. The whole world is complicit.“

22.05.2026 - 13:47 [ Thiago Ávila / X ]

Warning: distressful content!

Those genocidal maniacs RAPED humanitarian activist trying to take food and medicine to children in Gaza! And the worst is that even this they escalate to much worse forms with the 9000 Palestinians in israeli dungeons (almost 400 children)!

22.05.2026 - 13:36 [ PalMedia / X ]

Global Sumud Flotilla activist Juliet Lamont describes severe abuse by Israel: “I was tied with cables, water tortured, and sexually assaulted. People had broken ribs, were tased in the face, and injected with unknown sedatives.”

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22.05.2026 - 13:15 [ Furkan Gözükara / Youtube ]

Terrifying revelation. A Global Sumud Flotilla captain shows his back completely covered in massive bruises from Israeli forces.

He confirms the horrific reality that Arabic and non-white captives were beaten much worse.

22.05.2026 - 13:06 [ The Resonance / X ]

The Sumud Flotilla activists, kidnapped in international waters, have been hospitalized after being brutally tortured by Israeli forces.

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22.05.2026 - 13:06 [ NBC News / Youtube ]

Deported Gaza flotilla activists allege abuse while detained in Israel

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22.05.2026 - 12:56 [ BBC ]

‚I could not stay silent‘, says activist who shouted at Ben-Gvir

Catriona Graham was one of hundreds of activists who were detained by Israel this week while trying to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza by boat.

Israel‘s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir later posted a video showing himself taunting the activists as they kneeled with their hands tied behind their backs.

22.05.2026 - 02:04 [ Freedom Flotilla Coalition ]

Freedom Flotilla Coalition Confirms Release and Deportation of International Volunteers

[May 21, 2026] The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) confirms that international volunteers abducted by Israeli forces during the unlawful interception of civilian vessels in international waters have now been released and deported. Two Korean nationals were deported to South Korea, one participant was deported to Egypt, two to Jordan, one Israeli citizen was released inside the country, and the remaining 422 participants were transferred to Istanbul aboard three Turkish Airlines flights arranged by the Turkish government.

While we are relieved that participants are no longer in Israeli custody, we reject any attempt to portray the abuse and degrading treatment witnessed by the world over recent days as isolated misconduct or the actions of extremist officials. The brutality broadcast across social media — including deliberate humiliation, threats, physical violence, degrading treatment, and openly dehumanizing rhetoric directed at unarmed civilians — is not an aberration. It is a manifestation of the same system of settler-colonial violence and impunity that Palestinians have endured for decades while being denied their most basic human rights.

15.05.2026 - 20:53 [ Freedom Flotilla Coalition ]

Freedom Flotilla Coalition Launches Boats for New Phase of Gaza Flotilla Mission

On May 13, 2026, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) is launching five vessels — Adalah, Kyriakos X, Lina Al Nabulsi, PERSEVERANCE and Tenaz Love Aqsa Bangladesh — from a Greek island as part of the broader international flotilla effort to break Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza and challenge the impunity enabling genocide, starvation, and the wholesale erasure of the Palestinian people. These vessels will join approximately 55 additional boats departing from Marmaris, Türkiye. While our five boats (sailing under French, Italian and Polish flags) carry symbolic amounts of food and medicine, we are not an aid organization. We sail in defiance of a brutal and unlawful blockade designed to isolate, imprison, and persecute Palestinians, and in rejection of the international community’s failure to stop Israel’s ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people.

05.05.2026 - 01:48 [ Global Sumud Flotilla ]

BREAKING: israeli Forces Attempting to Intercept Freedom Flotilla Coalition Boats off the Coast of Greece; U.S. Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Drones Circle FFC Vessels

May 4, 2026 – MEDITERRANEAN SEA — The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has received harrowing field reports confirming that the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) fleet, currently off the Coast of Greece to join the GSF in a unified mission to Gaza, is under active military surveillance and intimidation. Chronology of Tactical Escalation:

– 19:27 Palestine Time: Four FFC vessels reported a military helicopter circling their position.

– 21:53 Palestine Time: Participants reported the presence of three drones and an unidentified ship in the distance that has deliberately turned off its navigation lights.

– Tactical Surveillance: Marine Traffic data confirms a U.S. Lockheed Martin plane flew directly over the fleet shortly before the latest escalation.

– Current Status: Participants now report seeing unidentified boats and white lights approaching the FFC fleet from the rear.

05.05.2026 - 01:37 [ Freedom Flotilla Coalition ]

Freedom Flotilla Defies Israeli Piracy and Terror at Sea, Launches New Vessels from Siracusa

SICILY | May 2, 2026 — Just days after Israel’s assault on unarmed civilian vessels in international waters near Crete, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) is pressing forward—not retreating. Today, four new vessels launched from Siracusa, determined not to give in to Israel’s violence and brutality.

Israel’s April 29 attack, carried out over 600 nautical miles (over 1100 km) from its shores, was not an act of “security.” It was piracy. It was state terrorism on the high seas. Sadly, the attack was not an isolated incident, but a pattern of lawlessness and aggression that has been enabled, normalized, and shielded by international inaction.

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The Freedom Flotilla Coalition calls on the international community, civil society, and the media to demand accountability for Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla. We call on all governments to guarantee safe passage for flotilla vessels and to uphold the basic principles of international law. And we call on all people of conscience: do not look away. We will not be deterred. We will not be silenced.

02.05.2026 - 22:42 [ Freedom Flotilla ]

Freedom Flotilla Coalition Calls for the Immediate Release of Global Sumud Flotilla Organizers

We are particularly alarmed by the risk of abuse they now face in Israeli custody. Past treatment of detained flotilla participants has included documented cases of beatings, coercion, sexual assault, and rape. Given this record, there are serious concerns that Saif and Thiago could be subjected to similar violations, including torture or other forms of ill-treatment.

The reported attempt to link Saif Abu Kishek to “terrorism” follows Israel’s well-established pattern of using baseless security allegations to justify the repression of Palestinians and those in solidarity with them. Such accusations must be viewed in light of Israel’s systematic discrimination and apartheid regime.

This incident is yet another example of Israel’s ongoing disregard for international law. The global community cannot continue to respond with silence and inaction. States have a legal and moral obligation to act to uphold the rule of law, to ensure accountability, and to bring an end to Israel’s unchecked aggression and crimes against humanity.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition stands in full solidarity with Saif, Thiago, and all those who risk their safety to defend freedom, dignity, and human rights.

17.04.2026 - 19:31 [ Mediapart.fr ]

Garde à vue de Rima Hassan : comment des policiers ont pisté l’eurodéputée

Visée par une enquête pour apologie de terrorisme ouverte le 27 mars 2026, la députée européenne LFI a fait face à une débauche de moyens policiers. Sa ligne téléphonique a été tracée pour consigner tous ses déplacements depuis le 1er janvier. « Il n’existe aucune justification à ces mesures », s’indigne son avocat.

17.04.2026 - 19:28 [ Middle East Monitor ]

France under fire over alleged surveillance of pro-Palestine MEP

Hassan had been under surveillance since January 2026, with authorities reportedly geolocating her phone and closely tracking her movements and daily schedule, reported Mediapart, a French investigative online newspaper.

Opposition lawmakers have condemned the alleged surveillance as a “state scandal.”

Antoine Leaument, a lawmaker from the left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI), called on Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin to provide an immediate explanation regarding the claims.

17.04.2026 - 19:21 [ Mediapart.fr ]

Questions persist over prosecution of radical-left French MEP Rima Hassan for ‚condoning terrorism‘

(April 4, 2026)

On Thursday, expressions of support came almost entirely from LFI and the far-left. For the anti-capitalist NPA, Olivier Besancenot expressed his “solidarity with Rima Hassan” on X, as did Nathalie Arthaud, the spokesperson for the Trotskyist Lutte ouvrière (LO).

Two former LFI members, Alexis Corbière and Clémentine Autain, also spoke out. “A member of the European Parliament placed in police custody for a retweet? Freedom of expression applied selectively is not the Republic,” said the latter. “The disproportionate repression of expressions of support for Palestine is clear, it must stop,” wrote the former.

On Friday, a handful of elected representatives from other parties began to join the chorus of criticism, including the communist MP Elsa Faucillon, who deplored a “relentless campaign revealing the mobilisation of the state apparatus against any solidarity with Palestine” and the Green MP Benjamin Lucas, who denounced “double standards”. Another Green MP, Sandrine Rousseau, expressed her “support” for Rima Hassan.

More surprisingly, the socialist MEP Chloé Ridel, a close ally of the Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, also commented: “Everything about the police custody imposed on the European Member of Parliament Rima Hassan is disproportionate and violates her parliamentary immunity, whatever our disagreements. Was Louis Sarkozy [editor‘s note, son of former president Nicolas Sarkozy and a political commentator] placed in custody when he said about Palestinians ‘let them all die’?”

17.03.2026 - 18:23 [ NovaraMedia.com ]

Aid Convoy to Deliver More Than 20 Tonnes of Food and Medicine to Cuba

Organiser David Adler drew parallels between the convoy and the Gaza aid flotilla, which he took part in last year. “From the global movement that helped end apartheid in South Africa to the flotillas that sailed to challenge the siege of Gaza, international solidarity has repeatedly emerged to confront injustice,” he said. “This convoy to Cuba continues that tradition, delivering critical supplies to the Cuban people and a simple message: you are not alone.”

13.10.2025 - 14:20 [ Freedom Flotilla Coalition ]

All Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madleens Volunteers Freed from Israel’s Unlawful Detention

(October 12, 2025)

All those who were aboard the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) vessel Conscience and the Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG) sailboats have now been released from Israel’s unlawful detention. Most have been expelled, and none remain in the custody of the Israeli occupation.

10.10.2025 - 00:56 [ Anadolu ]

EU lawmaker may be detained by Israel after Freedom Flotilla attack: Parliament group

A European Parliament lawmaker voiced concern Thursday about the detention of a colleague, Melissa Camara, by Israel after the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was attacked.

„This is about our colleague, our very highly esteemed colleague, Melissa Camara. She was on the Freedom Flotilla, and she was detained by the Israeli authorities,“ said Greens/European Free Alliance co-chair Bas Eickhout ahead of a vote session in the plenary sitting in Strasbourg.

Eickhout noted that Camara may have been transferred to a maximum-security prison, though it has not yet been confirmed.

10.10.2025 - 00:51 [ Columbus Dispatch ]

Ohio University professor aboard flotilla detained by Israel while approaching Gaza

Tom Hayes, 69, whom OU confirmed is an associate professor at the university, was aboard the vessel „Conscience“ when it was intercepted by the Israeli navy at around 6 p.m. UTC time on Oct. 8, according to the Freedom Flotilla Tracker, an open-source tool that has been tracking vessels attempting to break the siege around war-torn Gaza.

The vessel was intercepted and taken to the Israeli city of Ashdod, according to the tracker. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a grassroots group that organized the humanitarian trip, said in a press release Oct. 8 that the Conscience was boarded by Israeli Defense Forces.

10.10.2025 - 00:30 [ JTA.org ]

Jewish freelance journalist Emily Wilder is detained as Israeli military intercepts Gaza aid flotilla

Jewish freelance journalist Emily Wilder, reporting for Jewish Currents, a progressive Jewish publication, was detained by the Israeli military on Monday while covering an aid flotilla bound for Gaza.

Wilder set sail from Italy last week aboard The Conscious, one of dozens of boats that aimed to reach Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave.

10.10.2025 - 00:26 [ Daily Sabah ]

3 Turkish deputies detained by Israel to return to Türkiye

Also 18 Turkish citizens, detained aboard the ships of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, had been taken to Ketziot Detention Center in Israel, and Turkish Consulate officials were set to meet them face-to-face, they added.

The sources also emphasized that all necessary steps had been taken to ensure the Turkish citizens‘ return to their country as soon as possible, including the arrangement of a special flight.

08.10.2025 - 17:46 [ Freedom Flotilla Coalition / Youtube ]

Germans Aboard Flotilla Attacked by Israeli Military in International Waters

The ‚Conscience‘ volunteers have likely been illegally abducted by Israel while in international waters on their way to open a sea corridor to Gaza. These are the volunteers from Germany.

The ‚Conscience‘ was sailing in accordance with international law, outside Israeli jurisdiction. We call on the German government and people to condemn this crime and to demand the immediate release of all abducted volunteers, as well as an end to Israel’s illegal blockade and ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Take action NOW :
• Tag, email, and call your Ministry of Foreign Affairs : +49 30 50000
X: @GermanyDiplo / @AuswaertigesAmt
Insta : @auswaertigesamt
• Join or organise a protest in your city
• Boycott Israeli products and companies
• Pressure your government to enforce an arms embargo and diplomatic sanctions on Israel
• Pressure institutions and your work place to divest from and sanction Israel
• Share this call widely on social media and with your network

08.10.2025 - 15:40 [ Freedom Flotilla Coalition / Youtube ]

Gaza Sunbirds Attacked and Abducted by Israeli Military in International Waters

The ‘Gaza Sunbirds’ crew were illegally intercepted and abducted by the Israel military.

We call on all our governments and people of conscience to condemn Israel‘s crimes, to demand the immediate release of all abducted crew, and to demand an end to Israel’s illegal blockade and ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Take action NOW:
• Tag, email, and call your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and elected officials
Join or organise a protest in your city
• Use the ‘RISEFOR’ campaign to pressure your government in 2 minutes
• Donate or join the next wave of flotilla (links in bio) – we will not stop until Palestine is free
• Share this call widely on social media and with your network

08.10.2025 - 15:25 [ Freedom Flotilla Coalition / Youtube ]

Um Saad Boat and Crew Attacked by Israeli Military in International Waters

Oct 8, 2025 #BreakThe #ActNow #Conscience
We call on all our governments and people to condemn Israel’s crime of illegally intercepting our flotilla, and to demand the immediate release of all abducted crew. Our governments must end Israel’s illegal blockade and ongoing genocide of Gaza.

Take action NOW:
•Tag, email, and call your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and elected officials
• Join or organise a protest in your city
• Boycott Israeli products and companies
• Pressure your government to enforce an arms embargo and diplomatic sanctions on Israel
• Pressure institutions and your work place to divest from and sanction Israel
• Use the ‚RISEFOR‘ campaign (link in bio) to pressure your government in 2 minutes
• Donate or join the next wave of flotilla – we will not stop until Palestine is free. Share this call widely on social media and with your network