Since 2008, activists from around the world have been trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza by sea. Boats loaded with humanitarian aid, hundreds of activists on board, Palestinian keffiyehs and Palestinian flags displayed on the decks — and facing them, the Israeli navy. In May 2026, a new flotilla was intercepted in international waters. Its members suffered abuse documented by NGOs. An far-right Israeli minister even published a humiliating video of the arrested activists, causing an international outcry.
A look back at the history of the flotillas for Gaza, from the first attempt in 2008 to the events of May 2026.
The Gaza blockade: why flotillas?
To understand the flotillas, one must understand the blockade. Since 2007, Israel has imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on the Gaza Strip, following Hamas's takeover of the territory. This blockade strictly controls the entry of goods, construction materials, medicines, and people. Israel justifies this measure for security reasons. International organizations, including the UN, consider this blockade a violation of international humanitarian law.
It is to denounce this blockade and symbolically attempt to breach it that activists from around the world began organizing maritime convoys to Gaza — the "flotillas."
2008: the first crossings — the Free Gaza movement
The first attempt to break the blockade by sea dates back to August 2008. The Free Gaza movement, composed of international activists, sent two small boats to Gaza. Against all expectations, Israel allowed these ships to pass — a first in 41 years. The boats arrived in Gaza on August 23, 2008, welcomed by cheering crowds. The movement successfully made several crossings between August and December 2008, before Israel strengthened its interception system.
2010: the Mavi Marmara — the dramatic turning point
On May 31, 2010, an international flotilla of six ships attempted to reach Gaza with 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid and approximately 700 activists on board, from 37 different countries. The main vessel was the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ferry chartered by the Turkish humanitarian NGO IHH.
On the night of May 30-31, as the flotilla sailed in international waters, Israeli navy commandos (IDF) boarded the Mavi Marmara by helicopter. What happened next is subject to contradictory accounts. According to Israel, soldiers were attacked by activists armed with iron bars and knives. According to the organizers, soldiers opened fire without justification on unarmed civilians.
The toll was nine dead — all Turkish — and many injured among the activists. Ten Israeli soldiers were also injured. This was the first time that activists in a flotilla were killed during an Israeli interception.
International reactions were massive. Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel. The UN Security Council condemned the incident. An independent UN investigation concluded that Israel's use of force was "excessive and unreasonable." Israeli-Turkish relations deteriorated significantly for several years.
2011-2024: Repeated attempts, systematic interceptions
Far from discouraging activists, the Mavi Marmara tragedy strengthened international mobilization. Several attempts followed in the 2010s and 2020s, all intercepted by the Israeli navy.
In 2011, a new flotilla was organized but blocked in Greek ports under Israeli and American pressure. In 2018, the boat Al-Awda ("The Return") was intercepted in international waters. In 2021, the Freedom Flotilla attempted a new crossing without success. In 2023 and 2024, several isolated ships — the Conscience, the Madleen, the Handala — in turn attempted to break the blockade, each time in vain.
With each interception, the same pattern is repeated: the ships are boarded in international waters, the activists arrested, expelled to their countries of origin, and humanitarian aid confiscated. International organizations denounce these actions as violations of the law of the sea. Israel maintains that the blockade is legal under international law.
April-May 2026: the Global Sumud Flotilla
In April 2026, the largest flotilla ever organized set sail. The Global Sumud Flotilla gathered more than 20 ships and approximately 200 activists from dozens of countries. Among them were two French boats that departed from Marseille on April 4, 2026, under the aegis of the French "Freedom Flotilla for Gaza" campaign, supported by NGOs, trade unions, and solidarity associations.
On May 19, 2026, the Israeli navy intercepted the flotilla in international waters off the coast of Greece. Some 175 activists were arrested. Images of the interception circulated worldwide.
Abuse denounced by NGOs
After the activists' arrest, alarming testimonies began to emerge. The Israeli NGO Adalah, which visited the detainees in prison, documented concerning detention conditions: interrogations lasting up to eight hours straight, death threats and threats of "spending a hundred years in prison," cells subjected to continuous intensive lighting, systematic blindfolding during movements — including during medical visits.
Two activists — Spain's Saïf Abu Keshek and Brazil's Thiago Avila — were kept in prolonged detention and began a hunger strike. Adalah denounced a "flagrant violation of medical ethical standards" regarding their treatment.
France, along with many other countries, officially denounced these detention conditions.
Ben Gvir's video: an international outcry
On May 20, 2026, the matter took on a new dimension. Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's far-right National Security Minister, published a video on social media showing arrested activists kneeling with their hands tied. Ben Gvir presented these images as "a great source of pride."
The reaction was immediate — including within the Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deemed these images "not in line with Israel's values." Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused his colleague of having "knowingly harmed" the country's image with "this shameful spectacle." Many countries, including France, condemned the treatment inflicted on the activists.
Ben Gvir's video became an additional symbol of the brutality denounced by supporters of the Palestinian cause worldwide.
International law: Does Israel have the right to intercept these flotillas?
The legal question is complex and disputed. Israel maintains that the naval blockade of Gaza is legal under the law of the sea, as a security measure within an armed conflict. The organizers of the flotillas, supported by many international jurists, argue that the interception of ships in international waters — therefore outside Israeli or Gazan territorial waters — constitutes a violation of the law of the sea.
A UN investigation conducted after the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010 concluded that the Israeli naval blockade was "legal under international law" but that "the use of force during the interception of the Mavi Marmara was excessive and unreasonable." In 2026, the United Nations described the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla as "unacceptable."
Why do flotillas continue despite interceptions?
Each interception is also a symbolic victory for the solidarity movement. Even when stopped, each flotilla generates worldwide media coverage that keeps the issue of Gaza in the international news. It forces governments to take a stance. It documents the blockade and its humanitarian consequences.
The organizers know that the objective of the flotillas is not only to deliver aid — it is also to bear witness, to denounce, and to maintain international pressure on Israel to lift the blockade. In this sense, even when intercepted, the flotillas fulfill their mission.
FAQ: your questions about the flotillas for Gaza
What is a flotilla for Gaza?
A flotilla for Gaza is a convoy of ships organized by international activists to attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, by delivering humanitarian aid and drawing international attention to the situation in the territory.
How many people died during flotilla interceptions?
The only flotilla that caused deaths was the Mavi Marmara, on May 31, 2010: nine Turkish activists were killed during the boarding by Israeli commandos. Since then, interceptions have led to documented arrests and abuses, but no other deaths among activists.
Are the flotillas for Gaza legal?
The organizers of the flotillas assert that their action is legal under the law of the sea, particularly because interceptions occur in international waters. Israel maintains that its naval blockade is legal. The issue remains disputed in international law.
Who organizes the flotillas for Gaza?
The flotillas are organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which brings together NGOs, solidarity associations, trade unions, and political parties from many countries. Since 2026, France has had a national campaign, which departed from Marseille in April 2026.
To go further
To understand the broader context of the conflict, consult our articles: why the Palestinian territories are considered occupied, the Nakba: history and meaning, and how to concretely help Palestine.
And to show your solidarity with the Palestinian people, discover our collection of Palestinian keffiyehs and our Palestinian flags. 🇵🇸