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Keep Your Eyes on Gaza. Keep Your Eyes on the Flotilla.
September 30, 2025 9:43 AM Subscribe

The Global Sumud Flotilla (Novara Media coverage; previously) is now in the final stretch of its journey towards Gaza, with Israeli interception expected within the next 24每48 hours.

※By intercepted, I mean kidnapped in international waters by Israeli commandos and brought to the nearest port,§ says Novara Media's Kieran Andrieu. ※We never had any delusions about that possibility; it＊s always been the outcome of previous missions.§

Despite exhaustion after weeks at sea, spirits remain high. Andrieu says the flotilla is committed to delivering aid, but also aims to ※keep visibility on Gaza§ and ※raise the political stakes for Israel.§

The presence of Italian and Spanish naval escorts has reduced the likelihood of a violent clash, though Andrieu warned Israel ※might still§ escalate.

Greta Thunberg - Israel Must Not Stop Our Flotilla

Exclusive: As the Global Sumud Flotilla approaches the danger zone, where Israel is likely to attempt an illegal interception, Greta Thunberg told Novara Media that people on board will not be deterred.

※Israel is not allowed to prevent humanitarian aid from entering Gaza,§ she said. "We cannot accept Israel saying that they will stop this mission. That would be yet another war crime, adding to the very long list of war crimes they have committed.§

Global Sumud Flotilla entering ＆danger area＊ near Gaza (Al Jazeera English)

The humanitarian flotilla heading for Gaza is now less than 270 kilometres from the Strip.
Activists on board the Global Sumud Flotilla said they are entering Israel's interception zone.
The flotilla received medical and food aid from Turkiye on Saturday.
Spain and Italy have dispatched two naval ships to provide assistance to the flotilla if necessary.

Al Jazeera＊s Hassan Massoud is with the Gaza aid flotilla on the Mediterranean Sea and says activists know they could come under attack again.

Croatian lawyer Morana Miljanovic, who is aboard one of the flotilla ships, has warned that any Israeli efforts to intercept their vessels would be clearly illegal.

Global Sumud Flotilla: Nelson Mandela's Grandson Speaks from Ship Headed to Gaza (Democracy Now!, 11m35s)

As the Israeli blockade of Gaza continues, a nearly 50-boat flotilla carrying humanitarian aid is currently some 150 nautical miles from Gaza. The grandson of Nelson Mandela, Nkosi Zwelivelile "Mandla" Mandela, speaks with Democracy Now! from the Global Sumud Flotilla.

South Africans "are beneficiaries of international solidarity. Those that rallied behind our cause and stood side by side in supporting the anti-apartheid movement ensured that we attained our freedom in our lifetime," says Mandela. "This is why today we utilize our voice to support the oppressed and most vulnerable nations across the globe."

posted by flabdablet (56 comments total) 24 users marked this as a favorite

I wish the whole world was as brave.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 12:36 PM on September 30 [14 favorites]

Why is Israel allowed to keep doing illegal things with zero repercussions? Can all countries do this and get away with it, they just don't try as blatantly? Is international "law" just to police the poorer countries?

I'm not trying to be annoying, I'm actually curious what changed. In the 90's and even not that long ago, international law, sanctions, and other repercussions were a cause of concern.
posted by chaz at 4:26 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]

chaz: "Why is Israel allowed to keep doing illegal things with zero repercussions? Can all countries do this and get away with it, they just don't try as blatantly? Is international "law" just to police the poorer countries?"

"Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing."

(The short answer is, those things have never been on the table for Israel except in very small and limited ways. Because the US, the 900-pound gorilla in the room, is extremely devoted to protecting their client state. And the more the US has covered for Israel, the more eroded the entire fabric of international law has become, because everyone else in the world sees Israel constantly getting away with it.)
posted by adrienneleigh at 4:46 PM on September 30 [21 favorites]

simultaneously: heartened to see the Spanish and Italian governments forced to do something, and yet inclined to agree with this take from the WSWS: "The deployment of warships aims to deflect popular anger and provide governments that have facilitated genocide for two years with an alibi while the slaughter continues.

Spain and Italy are responding to a wave of protests against Israel＊s genocide and their own complicity. Demonstrations have swept Spanish and Italian cities for nearly two years."
posted by nobody_truncates at 5:20 PM on September 30 [8 favorites]

German protests over the weekend were between 60,000 and 100,000 depending who you ask.

Perhaps the stronger response by Italy will make Germany do more than restrict arms sales.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 6:33 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]

Italy to end support for international Gaza flotilla as it nears destination
posted by fimbulvetr at 6:55 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]

Good interview with a flotilla member (David Adler) on Trueanon this week (link goes right to the lead-in to the interview).
posted by supercres at 7:29 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]

On Course for Gaza. Braced for Israeli Interception

The Global Sumud Flotilla is now within 48 hours of reaching Gaza, with Israeli forces expected to intercept soon.

On board, Kieran Andrieu reports spirits are high despite weeks at sea. ※We never had any delusions 每 interception has always been the outcome of previous missions."

Italian, Spanish and Turkish naval escorts have joined the flotilla, making a violent clash less likely. But Andrieu warns Israel ※might still§ escalate. The Italian navy will soon issue a radio call, offering participants the opportunity to abandon ship and return to shore before reaching the so-called "orange zone."

The flotilla says its mission is not only to deliver aid, but to ※keep visibility on Gaza§ and raise the political stakes for Israel.

Gaza Flotilla Prepares For Interception By Israel

BREAKING: Global Sumud Flotilla Being Intercepted (livestream)
posted by flabdablet at 8:34 PM on September 30 [4 favorites]

I am so nervous for them and I hope they stay safe.
posted by toastyk at 9:00 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]

Croatian lawyer Morana Miljanovic, who is aboard one of the flotilla ships, has warned that any Israeli efforts to intercept their vessels would be clearly illegal.

Israel's actions being illegal is totally meaningless. They are currently enthusiastically executing a very public genocide. Sinking these boats is like a bank robber speeding during their get away.
posted by Mitheral at 9:15 PM on September 30 [4 favorites]

Livestream title now changed to "LIVE: Global Sumud Flotilla Approaches Gaza"
posted by flabdablet at 9:29 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]

Middle East Eye also publishing what looks like the same livestream:
Live: Global Sumud Flotilla nears high-risk zone off Gaza coast
posted by flabdablet at 9:35 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]

Livestream and flotilla tracker from globalsumudflotilla.org
posted by flabdablet at 9:42 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]

These cowards are going to pay InshaAllah.
Time is coming and Allah does NOT forget anyone.
posted by web-design-firm at 12:54 AM on October 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiCMc9BbRUU

Live emergency press conference stream going on now for the GSF. Including interviews with two of the vessels intercepted whilst still in international waters.
posted by many-things at 3:10 AM on October 1 [5 favorites]

From what I can gather (from that online press conference feed), the flotilla is now within the arbitrary 120 nautical miles from the Gaza shoreline, so still in international waters, but in an area Israel has claimed they can police / intercept / abduct / etc. due to the war in Palestine.

Apparently the military forces have tended to attack the civilian vessels mostly at night, and it's recently daytime now.

True end of international waters is typically 12 nautical miles from the physical shore. Through which the flotilla iis only going through Palastinian waters anyway,

But at current speeds, if getting through all the blockades, the flotilla 'should' reach Gaza around 10am their local time. But they are expecting more intimidation actions / tech disruption / illegal blockages / etc. most likely overnight tonight in particular, as the flotilla gets even closer.
posted by many-things at 3:46 AM on October 1 [5 favorites]

Of course the 12 miles off of Gaza is Palestine, not Israel
posted by mbo at 3:55 AM on October 1 [4 favorites]

Including interviews with two of the vessels intercepted whilst still in international waters

Those intercepted vessels were Alma and Cyrus. The interception consisted of an Israeli navy boat speeding toward Alma, positioning itself so as to force Alma to manoeuvre to avoid colliding with it, circling Alma for six minutes, then speeding toward Cyrus and doing the same thing for fifteen. This was accompanied by lights visible from below the water, assumed to belong to a submarine; drones; and electronic attacks on livestreaming and emergency comms equipment, strong enough to inflict damage on that equipment that has yet to be fully repaired.

Both vessels remain on course.
posted by flabdablet at 4:05 AM on October 1 [6 favorites]

The bravery of these participants is astounding and inspiring. Our attention on them is their only protection. Please keep watching them, and listening to their stories, and spread the word.

flabdablet, thank you for the continued updates over the past weeks.
posted by hovey at 6:15 AM on October 1 [3 favorites]

I just learned that Emily Wilder, who was fired from AP a few years ago over her social media＊s pro-Palestinian tweets, is on board the Conscience, setting sail from Italy, carrying around 70 media and medical workers to Gaza, reporting for Jewish Currents.
posted by toastyk at 6:22 AM on October 1 [6 favorites]

A personal message moments ago from a Flotilla participant:

"Based on the activities from last night it's nearly a sure thing there will be another interception tonight. We're less than 100 miles from Gaza, which is closer then any boat has gotten in the last decade. We've been at sea for over a month, rendezvoused with over 50 boats from five countries, traveling to Gaza with more than 400 volunteers.

We've persevered through multiple drone attacks, electronic and radio jamming, fires, & chemicals. Intervened to address nearly two medical emergencies every day, often involving sea evacuations, including a heart attack, kidney stones, detached retina, etc. Overcome multiple boat malfunctions and compete engine failures... Why??

Because there is a genocide in Gaza happening and it must be stopped!

We shouldn't be the ones doing this and we accept that the the aid we are attempting to deliver is a drop in the ocean, however we know that our leaders clearly will not do the right thing without massive pressure from their constituents. Our goal has been simple, break the blockade, establish a humanitarian corridor, and most importantly, rally the world to listen to their conscience and demand that their representatives take action.

Tonight we anticipate that Israel will once again attempt to intercept and stop our mission. Last night there was two ships had their electrical systems and communications devices incapacitated, but we managed to maintain control. We're under no illusions, Israel is scared. They know the world is waking up and pressuring leaders to take action.? They desperately want to stop us and the word is they have hired 600 additional soldiers, who got special rabbinical dispensation to work on a high holy day (ah religion). Last night they had one large and one medium sized naval vessel, loads of drones, and fast boats, + even had some kind of submersible. We anticipate a significantly larger action tonight as it's their last chance to stop us.

We're now less than 90 miles from Gaza... we're on our boats cooking our last dinner before arriving, enjoying our time together and celebrating our achievements. And reviewing our training and protocols, and preparing to complete our mission. I ask that you do what you can in your own way to join our mission and end the suffering in Palestine."
posted by hovey at 8:02 AM on October 1 [10 favorites]

I'm about half an hour behind on the livestream, listening to Kieran Andrieu reporting an interception in progress. Alma has been circled and intercepted and its Starlink connection temporarily shut off. When the expected pirate horde swarms, all onboard phones are supposed to be thrown into the sea to deny Israel any access to data they might contain.

There are rumours about Instagram taking down flotilla participants' live feeds.
posted by flabdablet at 12:03 PM on October 1 [1 favorite]

Four Israeli boats approaching Adara.

Flotilla tracker currently listing Alma and Adara as intercepted. No commandos on either as yet.

Andrieu suggests reading the Wikipedia entry on Israel's S13 commando unit.
posted by flabdablet at 12:16 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]

Alma, formerly the lead boat, currently stopped accompanied by an Israeli vessel, some way behind Adara.
posted by flabdablet at 12:20 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]

The tracker/livestream site linked above stopped working for me.
posted by JSilva at 12:30 PM on October 1

Novara's livestream is still up.
posted by flabdablet at 12:40 PM on October 1 [5 favorites]

Alma has been boarded by IDF commandos.
posted by flabdablet at 12:43 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]

Two Israeli vessels currently shadowing Adara.

Sirius has been intercepted and boarded.
posted by flabdablet at 12:57 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]

Flotilla currently ~70 nautical miles from Gaza.
posted by flabdablet at 1:00 PM on October 1 [1 favorite]

Israeli boat now approaching Adara at high speed.
posted by flabdablet at 1:07 PM on October 1 [1 favorite]

Phones overboard on Adara, presumably now boarded by IDF.
posted by flabdablet at 1:09 PM on October 1 [1 favorite]

Reuters is reporting on this live and it's currently at the top of their homepage.
posted by hovey at 1:12 PM on October 1 [5 favorites]

Livestream currently showing water cannon being deployed against passengers seated with their hands in the air on Meteque.
posted by flabdablet at 1:27 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]

Water cannon against Mango now.
posted by flabdablet at 1:51 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]

Flotilla tracker back online, looks like 18 boats marked "intercepted", 25 still sailing to gaza
posted by mbo at 1:59 PM on October 1 [4 favorites]

I keep thinking that my rage and hatred at Israel cannot get any fiercer, and finding out i'm wrong.

If this were genuinely a security issue, of course, Israel could intercept the boats, inspect the cargo, and let them continue. That would still be illegal (because the entire fucking blockade is illegal), but it would let Israel show its power while still allowing humanitarian aid into Palestine. But of course, nothing except complete starvation and ethnic cleansing is good enough for them.
posted by adrienneleigh at 2:07 PM on October 1 [5 favorites]

.... and looks like someone's taking down the flotilla website - live stream still on youtube directly
posted by mbo at 2:08 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]

Current Israeli tactic appears to be to do a very close approach to create rough and choppy waves, then demand that the flotilla boat stop its engine, douse it with water cannon when it doesn't comply, keep at that for a while, then retreat to go and do the same thing to another boat.

All comms from Adara now cut.

And they have the cheek to release footage of Thunberg, at point of arrest, being given a bottle of water and allowed to put on a hat and jacket just to prove what kind and moral humanitarians they are. I fully expect that this is the only footage the Murdoch Death Star will broadcast.

Fucking pirates.
posted by flabdablet at 2:25 PM on October 1 [5 favorites]

I keep thinking that my rage and hatred at Israel cannot get any fiercer

I don't have rage and hatred, just overwhelming grief and disgust.

On Yom Kippur they do this. Fucken peculiar way to repent and atone.
posted by flabdablet at 2:32 PM on October 1 [9 favorites]

TY all for being here. This is terrifying -- the whole past two years has been surreal. All I do is spam everyone I know to watch this. Witness it!
I really believe this time a #GlobalStrike is our only choice.
posted by Surfurrus at 3:42 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]

Mikeno was just attacked by water cannon.
posted by hovey at 3:47 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]

Looks like Israel just murdered South Africa's ambassador to France. (Emmanuel Nkosinathi Mthethwa was instrumental in filing the genocide case against Israel at the ICC.)
posted by adrienneleigh at 4:00 PM on October 1 [3 favorites]

General strike called in Italy and protests breaking out.
posted by toastyk at 4:16 PM on October 1 [5 favorites]

The news was just on 1010 Wins radio in NYC. Just a 20 second summary, but still, it's hitting US mainstream media now.
posted by hovey at 4:38 PM on October 1 [1 favorite]

Per the Guardian:

※Italy and Spain deployed naval ships to help with any rescue or humanitarian needs but stopped following the flotilla once it got within 150 nautical miles (278 km) of Gaza for safety reasons.§

Extremely pathetic that the literal military forces of nation states are pleading ※safety reasons§ and leaving a flotilla of small, unarmed, civilian boats to go it alone.
posted by the north sea at 4:52 PM on October 1 [10 favorites]

Looks like Israel just murdered South Africa's ambassador to France.

We know they certainly assassinate political targets in foreign countries... but apart from his involvement in that case as motive, is there something pointing at Israel here?
posted by bcd at 5:02 PM on October 1

Just the extremely suspicious circumstances, really, and the fact that Israel is famous for assassinating people it doesn't like.

I should've been more equivocal, though. "Israel probably just assassinated..." It's possible that someone else did it. (It's even possible, although imo vanishingly unlikely, that it was an actual suicide. Folks mostly don't suicide by defenestration, especially not when it requires forcing a security lock.)
posted by adrienneleigh at 5:10 PM on October 1 [1 favorite]

I had to look this up to be sure but Israel is not a NATO member though they are designated by the US as a Major non-NATO ally. It would have been a hell of a thing for Italian and Spanish military ships to force Israel to considering triggering an article five response by firing on those ships.

The US would have been in a real mf'er of a position and I don't know on which side of the coin the orange one would have come down on but probably somehow a worse option than any of can conceive of. God speed to the folks in the alternate universe where Italy and Spain went all-in on defending the flotilla.

I still think it would have been the most-right thing to do but even with a half-decent president in office I still don't think that's a scenario that plays out well for anyone but with this administration it could have only ended in disaster.

It's all disaster anyways so I don't know, everything sucks and I hate it.
posted by VTX at 5:14 PM on October 1 [3 favorites]

4 hrs ago Reuters reported that flotilla says 30 boats still sailing to Gaza.
posted by Surfurrus at 9:47 PM on October 1 [3 favorites]

Mikeno in Gaza territorial waters (about two hours ago).
posted by nobody_truncates at 1:55 AM on October 2 [3 favorites]

Mikeno almost certainly intercepted as well, tracker hasn't updated for some while now.

The Novara livestream is currently showing a view from the port of Ashdod in Israel. No audio, but the camera is being actively operated to catch views of incoming vessels. So far I've seen a large grey military vessel and a bunch of small boats, which I presume are flotilla boats being sailed by their pirate captors.

There was some chat on the stream saying that it was just relaying the AP stream from the same port, which does have background audio of waves, birds and the occasional cough, but they're clearly from different cameras.
posted by flabdablet at 4:08 AM on October 2 [3 favorites]

AP stream just went black.
posted by flabdablet at 4:16 AM on October 2 [1 favorite]

Not all of as can oppose the entity militarily, not all of us can be on the flottila to provide aid, but all of us can help with boycotting the zionist state wherever possible. We have Israeli artists asking for it! As an Israeli Filmmaker, Thank You to Everyone Who Is Boycotting My Works (Haaretz, archive.md)

There is no doubt that the cultural boycott of Israel 每 which I not only understand, but also encourage (as part of every opposition to the genocide that Israel is carrying out) 每 will harm not only the fascists and the collaborators with the Zionist regime, but also good and courageous people, like the women who initiated the letter and those who signed it. So what? This is a small price for anyone who believes it is necessary to do everything possible to stop the genocide, and there is no alternative but to pay that price, despite the unpleasantness that entails.

and

We have earned this boycott rightfully, as we 每 whether or not we want this, by choice or by imposition 每 are part of this murder. Therefore, it is our moral duty to support anyone who opposes it and aims to stop it. Even if this clashes with our personal interests, and even if some of our leftist and humanist babies (films) get spilled with the opposition water. What is that relative to thousands of babies (real human babies) whom Israel has been murdering for nearly two years now?

posted by kmt at 4:29 AM on October 2 [12 favorites]

Commentary on the Novara feed just clarified that they're licensing their Ashdod feed from Reuters, and that at least some of what was being sprayed on the flotilla boats during interception was skunk water.
posted by flabdablet at 4:54 AM on October 2 [3 favorites]

Muhammad Shehada:
Reminder: in 2008, six ships broke Israel's illegal blockade on Gaza

Israel didn't intercept them out of fear of global backlash & b/c they expected those flotillas to eventually tire themselves out

But the boats kept coming, so Israel began attacking them under a pretext that their naval blockade aims to ※prevent weapons, ammunition, military supplies, terrorists & money from entering§ Gaza, & to prevent ※terrorists＃ & other maritime borne threats§ from leaving Gaza.

Israel never found a single weapon on board of any of the ships they have intercepted since!

Israeli Knesset member, Einat Wilf, admitted that ※the armaments for Hamas were not coming from this flotilla,§ & that the ship＊s attempt to reach Gaza ※had nothing to do with [Israel's] security§

Today, Israel didn't even bother to make up an excuse for attacking the Sumud Flotilla in international waters, kidnapping the activists on board & continuing to hold them captive at the time of writing this.

Israel's message is now simple & undisguised: we are starving Gaza to death, the "civilized world" is letting us get away with it & you can't do anything about it!

The Israeli government admitted last June they intercepted the Madleen ship out of fear that allowing it into Gaza would incentivize many others to follow suit. Hence, the only answer to this atrocious piracy, draconian siege & genocide is to sail more ships towards Gaza!
posted by cendawanita at 7:04 AM on October 2 [7 favorites]

Novara's Sumud livestream now stopped, ending with a replay of this short piece from Kieran Andrieu: If You're Watching This Video, Israel Has Kidnapped Me in International Waters

Meanwhile, en route from Sicily:

Freedom Flotilla - Thousand Madleens to Gaza & Conscience Tracker

Live to Gaza - Freedom Flotilla Coalition & Thousand Madleens
Freedom Flotilla Coalition Conscience Live Stream
posted by flabdablet at 8:37 AM on October 2 [2 favorites]

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Keep Your Eyes on Gaza. Keep Your Eyes on the Flotilla. September 30, 2025 9:43 AM Subscribe

Keep Your Eyes on Gaza. Keep Your Eyes on the Flotilla.
September 30, 2025 9:43 AM Subscribe