Corporate Visit – Embassy of Palestine in Cairo
Our team in Egypt visited H.E. Diab Allouh, Ambassador of Palestine in Cairo. During the visit, we discussed our ongoing humanitarian aid efforts both in Egypt and Gaza. In addition, we exchanged views on possible new initiatives to support Gazans who were forced to migrate from Gaza to Egypt.
Due to the attacks, the number of Gazans crossing into Egypt through the Rafah Border Crossing has exceeded 100,000. The wounded, children, and families are facing serious difficulties in meeting their basic needs, including shelter, healthcare, and education.
For this reason, during the meeting we emphasized the importance of taking joint steps to alleviate the situation of Gazans who have sought refuge in Egypt and reaffirmed our commitment to continuing our work in the region.
We express our gratitude to Ambassador Allouh for his warm welcome and valuable support.

Attack Attempt on the Global Sumud Flotilla en Route to Gaza
The Family vessel of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and break the blockade, departed from Spain’s Alicante Port on September 7 and reached the Tunisian coast. The ship anchored at Sidi Bou Said Port near the capital and was preparing to set sail for Gaza on September 10.
However, on the night of September 8, the vessel was targeted by an Israeli drone attack. Footage and eyewitnesses confirmed that an explosive was dropped onto the deck, but Tunisian authorities dismissed claims of foreign intervention, attributing the fire to a technical malfunction. Activists, however, stated that the drone was clearly visible and held Israel directly responsible for the attack.
Shortly afterward, the flotilla’s other ship, Alma, was targeted in a similar attack. Both vessels sustained minor damage, but the incidents did not prevent the flotilla from setting sail.
Following the release of footage in international media, global reactions quickly followed. UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, stressed that if confirmed, the attack would constitute not only an assault on the Palestinian people but also a violation of Tunisia’s sovereignty.
Despite threats and attacks, the Global Sumud Flotilla announced that it would not back down. The organization successfully set sail from Tunisia into the Mediterranean on September 13 with both Family and Alma, continuing its mission with determination. The flotilla is seen as one of the last remaining hopes for Gaza.

The Sumud Flotilla Sets Sail Across the Mediterranean to Break the Siege on Gaza!
Fifteen years ago, the mission initiated by the *Mavi Marmara* to break the inhumane blockade on Gaza continues today with the same determination—and with even greater participation.
After the Vicdan ship was targeted by two Israeli drone strikes off the coast of Malta in May, the Madleen ship was raided 98 miles off Gaza’s shores in June, and the Hanzala ships were again unlawfully attacked by Israel just 68 miles off Gaza in July, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and other international organizations came together in August to announce the *Global Sumud Flotilla*. These groups prepared fleets to depart in September from two different locations—Spain and Tunisia—to unite in the Mediterranean and sail toward Gaza.
The first of these fleets, consisting of 22 ships and sailboats, departed on Sunday, August 31, with a spirited farewell from Barcelona’s port. However, due to severe storms and high waves in the Mediterranean, the fleet had to return to Barcelona. With weather conditions now improved, the fleet has set sail once again this evening.
Meanwhile, the Tunisian fleet, which currently has five ships prepared, is continuing its preparations. It plans to depart from the port of Tunisia on Thursday, September 4, and will unite with the fleet from Spain in the Mediterranean before proceeding together toward Gaza.
This massive initiative involves more than 15,000 activists. Not only activists but also doctors, scholars, journalists, artists, and human rights defenders are part of the effort. Among them are world-renowned figures such as Greta Thunberg, Susan Sarandon, Liam Cunningham, and Ada Colau. Over 300 participants from 44 countries, supported by thousands of volunteers, are strengthening the power of the flotilla.
Until the inhumane blockade on Gaza is broken, we will continue our struggle with the unwavering determination and spirit of the Mavi Marmara.

Hanzala Ship Update
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has organized dozens of missions since 2006 against the inhumane blockade on Gaza. In the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, we saw how dangerous Israel is to world peace. With the start of the Gaza Genocide on October 7, 2023, civilians, children, and women were targeted, hospitals, factories, and all public institutions were destroyed. At the point we have reached today, civilians are being massacred in large numbers due to hunger.
As the Mavi Marmara Association, we had launched the Conscience Ship to stop this genocide and break the blockade that began on October 7. Israel's terrorism, even thousands of kilometers away from Palestinian borders, has struck a blow to the conscience of the world by targeting a civilian ship in the heart of Europe.
We, as a coalition, are not afraid of Israel’s brutality. We managed to send the Madleen Ship to the Mediterranean right after the Conscience Ship. Similarly, Israel's attack on the Madleen Ship in international waters has again demonstrated to the world the kind of terrorist mentality they carry.
Our ship, the Hanzala, set sail to break the blockade and deliver baby formula to the children in Gaza who are dying from hunger. Israeli pirates unlawfully detained 21 activists during an attack on the Hanzala Ship in international waters, pulling it into Israeli-occupied ports.
At this point, 14 of our 21 friends, who were forcibly taken to the occupied Israeli lands, have been deported back illegally. It is expected that the detention process for the remaining 8 of our friends will conclude in the coming hours.
The Hanzala Ship has been physically pulled into the Ashdod Port, where the occupying forces have completely destroyed its satellite, signal, and communication systems. They are also hiding all the evidence of the attack on the ship, in an attempt to cover up the crime they committed against humanity.
We want to send three important messages to the world from here.
Our first message is for the free people of Palestine. For almost a century, you have been enduring an occupation. In the past two years, you have been living through a genocide the world has not witnessed. You have sacrificed your land, your children, and your entire lives for the victory of the Palestinian struggle. We know that you are the freest people in the world who have never bowed to these genocidal gangs. In this struggle, we will stand by you as much as we can, and we will bring back the freedom and peace that Palestine deserves.
Our second message is for the conscientious civil people of the world. While a massive genocide is taking place in front of the world's eyes, the most important action to take is to go to the borders of Palestine. The Freedom Flotilla has never hesitated, even for a moment, to stand up against this Israeli oppression. You too should support this movement for the preparation of larger flotillas and more ships. Because we know that if we cannot stop this genocide on Palestinian soil today, tomorrow this mentality will become a threat to the peace of the whole world.
Our third message is for states and international organizations. The most important step to take against this genocide is for Israel to be isolated and recognized as an enemy in the region. There is still no problem in Israel's supply chains. If you cannot take a stance against these crimes against humanity, citing political, military, or economic reasons, then tomorrow you will have no answer to the rightful anger of your people. Stop all shipments going to Israel from your ports before it’s too late. Stop the oil shipments to Israel, stop military shipments to Israel. Do not expect us to remain silent when we are faced with Israel, which disregards all laws and agreements, just by bringing up international treaties.
The Hanzala Ship has created a butterfly effect. And we know that this effect will return as a storm of anger towards Zionism and its collaborators.
The Freedom Flotilla will continue its journey until Palestine is free!

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Israeli Military Attacks Handala in International Waters, Abducts 21 Unarmed Civilians
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition confirms that its civilian vessel Handala, en route to break Israel’s illegal, genocidal blockade on Palestinians in Gaza, has been violently intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters about forty nautical miles from Gaza. At 23:43 EEST Palestine time the Occupation cut the cameras on board Handala and we have lost all communication with our ship. The unarmed boat was carrying life-saving supplies when it was boarded by Israeli forces, its passengers abducted, and its cargo seized. The interception occurred in international waters outside Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, in violation of international maritime law. Handala carried a shipment of critical humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, including baby formula, diapers, food, and medicine. All cargo was non-military, civilian, and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel’s illegal blockade. The Handala carried 21 civilians representing 12 countries, including parliamentarians, lawyers, journalists, labor organizers, environmentalists, and other human rights defenders. The crew includes: Human Rights Defenders Aboard Handala, by country: United States: Christian Smalls – Amazon Labor Union founder; Huwaida Arraf – Human rights attorney (Palestine/US); Jacob Berger – Jewish-American activist; Bob Suberi – Jewish U.S. war veteran; Braedon Peluso – Sailor and direct action activist; Dr. Frank Romano – International lawyer and actor (France/US). France: Emma Fourreau – MEP and activist (France/Sweden); Gabrielle Cathala – Parliamentarian and former humanitarian worker; Justine Kempf – Nurse, Médecins du Monde; Ange Sahuquet – Engineer and human rights activist. Italy: Antonio Mazzeo – Teacher, peace researcher, journalist; Antonio “Tony” La Picirella – Climate and social justice organizer. Spain: Santiago González Vallejo – Economist and activist; Sergio Toribio – Engineer and environmentalist. Australia: Robert Martin – Human rights activist; Tania “Tan” Safi – Journalist and organizer of Lebanese descent. Norway: Vigdis Bjorvand – 70-year-old lifelong justice activist. United Kingdom / France: Chloé Fiona Ludden – Former UN staff and scientist. Tunisia: Hatem Aouini – Trade unionist and internationalist activist. Journalists Aboard Handala Morocco: Mohamed El Bakkali – Senior journalist with Al Jazeera (based in Paris). Iraq / United States: Waad Al Musa – Cameraman and field reporter with Al Jazeera. The attack on Handala is the third violent act by Israeli forces against Freedom Flotilla missions this year alone. It follows the drone bombing of the civilian aid ship Conscience in European waters in May, which injured four people and disabled the vessel, and the illegal seizure of the Madleen in June, where Israeli forces abducted twelve civilians, including a Member of the European Parliament. Shortly before their abduction, the Handala‘s crew affirmed that they would be hunger-striking if detained by Israeli forces and not accepting any food from the Israeli Occupation Forces. Israeli officials have ignored the International Court of Justice’s binding orders that require the facilitation of humanitarian access to Gaza. The continued attacks on peaceful civilian missions represent a grave violation of international law. “Israel has no legal authority to detain international civilians aboard the Handala,” said Ann Wright a member of the Freedom Flotilla’s steering committee. “This is not a matter of internal Israeli jurisdiction. These are foreign nationals operating under international law in international waters. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end.”

We Stand with Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon and Syria!
With your support, we have carried out comprehensive aid operations for Palestinian refugees struggling to survive in Lebanon and Syria.
Living under harsh conditions, Palestinian refugees face severe difficulties in accessing basic food and essential resources in camps across various regions of Lebanon and Syria. To help ease these hardships, the Mavi Marmara Association sent an aid delegation to Lebanon in July.
Our team first arrived in Lebanon, where we distributed 664 food parcels to families in need within the refugee camps and delivered zakat assistance to 186 families.
Additionally, as part of our income-generating initiatives aimed at empowering families for a lifetime, we launched three small businesses in Lebanese refugee camps under difficult conditions: a Pastry Shop, a Coffee Shop, and an Ice Cream &amp; Dessert Shop. Moreover, we provided one family with a service minibus to enable them to earn income through transportation services.
In addition to our relief activities in Lebanon, our team continued to Syria, where they distributed zakat assistance to 100 Palestinian refugee families in the Yarmouk region.
To summarize, our aid activities in Lebanon included:
✅ One-Time Assistance • 664 Food Parcels • Zakat for 186 Families
✅ Income-Generation Projects • 1 Pastry Shop for a Family • 1 Coffee Shop for a Family • 1 Ice Cream &amp; Dessert Shop for a Family • 1 Service Minibus for a Family
In the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria: • Zakat for 100 Families
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our donors who contributed to the realization of these projects. With your support, we became a source of hope and prayers for hundreds of families.

<h2 data-start="42" data-end="87">The Freedom Flotilla Sets Sail Again</h2>
<h3 data-start="88" data-end="157">Handala Sets Out to Break the Blockade for the Children of Gaza</h3>
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition will launch the Handala ship from Italy on July 13, 2025. This civilian vessel is setting out to challenge Israel’s illegal and deadly blockade on Gaza. The ship carries both life-saving humanitarian aid and a powerful message of solidarity from people across the world who refuse to remain silent as the people of Gaza struggle to survive under hunger, bombardment, and the rubble of their destroyed homes.
This mission comes just weeks after Israel’s unlawful attack on another Freedom Flotilla ship, Madleen. In international waters, Israeli forces illegally seized the vessel and kidnapped twelve unarmed civilians—including a Member of the European Parliament, a doctor, journalists, and human rights defenders—taking them by force to Israel. There, they were interrogated, mistreated, and eventually deported. What was their “crime”? Attempting to deliver food, medicine, and solidarity to a besieged population.
<h2 data-start="1123" data-end="1151">We Will Not Back Down</h2>
Handala sets sail in the shadow of ongoing mass atrocities. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, since Israel resumed its assaults after breaking the ceasefire on March 18, 2025, at least 6,572 Palestinians have been killed and more than 23,000 wounded. Over 700 of the dead were struck while waiting in line for food at distribution points controlled by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Aid Agency. These sites, disguised as relief centers, are in fact deadly traps—tools of control and oppression that serve Israel’s genocidal agenda.
Like Madleen and others before it, Handala is part of the international Freedom Flotilla that has been sailing against the blockade since 2010. On board are volunteer medical personnel, lawyers, social justice activists, journalists, and community organizers. We are not governments. We are ordinary people, stepping up where institutions have failed.
<h2 data-start="2085" data-end="2116">For the Children of Gaza</h2>
This boat is named after Handala, the iconic Palestinian cartoon character—the barefoot refugee boy who turns his back on injustice. Handala vowed never to turn around until Palestine is free. This ship carries his spirit, and with it, the hope of every child in Gaza who has been stripped of safety, dignity, and joy.
In 2023 and 2024, the Handala ship visited ports across Europe and the UK, breaking through the media blockade. At every stop, it engaged the public through press events, art installations, and political education programs—building global solidarity.
Children make up over half of Gaza’s population. Their entire lives have been lived under brutal siege. Since October 2023, over 50,000 children have been killed or wounded, tens of thousands orphaned, and nearly one million forcibly displaced. Today, they face starvation, disease, and traumas beyond what most of us can imagine.
This mission is for them.

The Madleen ship, which set sail to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, was attacked by Israeli forces in international waters. Departing from Sicily, Italy, on June 1, 2025, the ship was on a peaceful mission and carried activists from several countries, including Germany, Turkey, France, Sweden, and Brazil.
The ship’s departure resonated strongly with people of conscience around the world. As it approached Palestinian waters, Israeli authorities began issuing statements that the vessel would not be allowed to proceed.
In the following days, the Israeli military intervened in international waters. Communication systems were cut, and activists were forcibly detained. Before being towed to the port of Ashdod, all those onboard were taken into custody.
In the initial days, the detained volunteers underwent interrogation processes. Some countries initiated diplomatic efforts to secure the release of their citizens. As a result, several activists were deported swiftly, while others remained in detention for days.
Among those held the longest were Mark van Rennes, Pascal Maureiras, and Yanis Mhamdi. Their detention was extended due to Israel’s closure of its airports following Iranian strikes, which were cited as a reason for national airspace security concerns. This prevented the final three activists from being deported in a timely manner.
Finally, after intense diplomatic negotiations and growing international pressure, the three activists—unlawfully detained—were released and transferred to Jordan. From there, they were able to return to their respective countries.

The word Sumud in Arabic means “resistance” and “steadfastness.” Especially after the October 7 attacks, while major actors such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and powerful states failed to take any concrete action against the occupying Israeli forces, civil society has stepped up to stand by the people of Gaza.
Originating mainly from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, the convoy set out with the goal of entering Gaza through the Rafah Crossing in Egypt. During this process, Israel pressured Egypt to block the convoy, and as it approached the border, Egyptian authorities officially announced that the convoy would not be allowed to enter.
Meanwhile, people of conscience from around the world began traveling to Egypt in solidarity, planning to march toward Rafah on June 16. However, as activists arrived, the Egyptian government began turning away groups at the border.
Following Egypt’s refusal to grant entry, the Sumud Convoy slowed its progress. Upon reaching Libya, the convoy came under attack by Haftar's forces. Now stranded in a remote area 50 kilometers from the nearest settlement, the convoy is trapped without internet access, left helplessly waiting.

As the Mavi Marmara Association, we continued our support for regions in need as part of our 2025 Qurbani operations. We successfully carried out our Qurbani work in areas such as Gaza, Lebanon (where a large Palestinian population resides), and various African countries including Tanzania, Somalia, and Benin.
Thanks to your generous contributions of over 5,000 Qurbani shares, we ensured that all sacrifices were carried out in accordance with Islamic principles and delivered directly to those in need.
As in previous years, we conducted our Gaza Qurbani project in the form of canned meat this year as well. The Qurbani animals were slaughtered in India, then cut into small portions and packaged. These packages were transported in refrigerated trucks to Dubai, where they will be processed into canned meat. Once canned, the donations will have a shelf life of up to three years and will be sent to Gaza.

Eid al-Adha is one of the most meaningful times when the spirit of sharing and brotherhood is deeply felt — a time to reach out to those in need and to show they are not forgotten. At Mavi Marmara Association, we continue to serve as a bridge between you and oppressed regions around the world in 2025 as well.
This year, we are delivering your Qurbani donations primarily to Gaza, where Israel continues its genocide, as well as to Palestinians living in Lebanon, and across various regions in Africa, including Tanzania, Benin, and Somalia.
As in previous years, Qurbani donations for Palestine are being processed into canned meat and sent to Gaza, while donations for other regions are being sacrificed during the days of Eid and distributed directly to those in need.
You can make your donation until the first day of Eid.
Mavi Marmara Continues on Its Path!

The Madleen, a new ship belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, has set sail to break the blockade on Gaza and to refuse silence in the face of genocide. Departing today, June 1st, from the Italian island of Sicily, the vessel carries 12 activists on board and is sailing for the freedom of Gaza!
Before Madleen, the Conscience ship had already set sail but was targeted by two Israeli drones while in international waters, approximately 14 nautical miles off the coast of Malta. Following this attack, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, staying true to its mission and vision, launched Madleen to stand by Gaza and resist this illegality.
Owned by the Mavi Marmara Association and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Madleen may face an attack similar to the one carried out against Conscience. You can follow the real-time location of the Madleen via the ship tracking system shared on the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s website, and receive live updates through our association’s social media accounts.
Let us stand united against genocide! Together, we will break the blockade!
🔗 <a href="https://freedomflotilla.org/ffc-tracker/">Track the Madleen – Freedom Flotilla Ship Tracker</a>