A new wave of solidarity is sweeping the seas as the Freedom Flotilla embarks once again on its daring mission to break the illegal blockade of Gaza and deliver urgent medical aid to Palestinians.

Comprising 11 vessels — among them the Vicdan (“Conscience”) ship, which was attacked and damaged in previous operations but repaired and made seaworthy again — the flotilla symbolizes the global determination to challenge Israel’s siege and oppose what civil society groups describe as an unfolding genocide.

The effort, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla, is joined by human rights activists, journalists, healthcare workers, and volunteers from dozens of countries. Ships prepared in France, the Netherlands, and Denmark set out from ports in Sicily and southern Italy to meet up with the Vicdan, continuing a maritime tradition of resistance that began with the legendary Mavi Marmara voyage in 2010.

At a press conference at IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation’s headquarters in Istanbul, civil society leaders called the flotilla “the voice of conscience and humanity” and appealed for global solidarity to protect the ships as they advance toward Gaza.

A Legacy of Resistance at Sea

The latest Freedom Flotilla is not a new movement but the continuation of a decade-and-a-half struggle against the suffocating blockade imposed on Gaza.

The Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship carrying hundreds of international activists, sailed in 2010 as part of the first major attempt to break the blockade. The world remembers the moment when Israeli commandos stormed the vessel in international waters, killing ten activists and wounding dozens. That massacre sparked global outrage, cementing the flotilla as a symbol of courage in the face of oppression.

Since then, multiple flotillas — including the Hanzala, Madleen, and Vicdan ships — have tried to reach Gaza, each voyage serving both a humanitarian and political purpose: to defy Israel’s stranglehold, to deliver medicine and food, and to remind the world that Gaza is being collectively punished.

The current flotilla is the 17th attempt. Unlike state-led initiatives, it is powered by civil society, grassroots activism, and the solidarity of ordinary people — teachers, doctors, sailors, and faith-based volunteers — who see the Gaza blockade not just as a regional issue but as a stain on humanity.

“The World is Run by a Mafia”

Opening the Istanbul press conference, IHH President Bülent Yıldırım accused world powers of orchestrating genocide in Palestine while using Israel as their enforcer: “We are living through one of the darkest eras in history. Children are killed because they might grow up to be resistance fighters. Women are murdered because they might give birth to children who will demand Palestine’s freedom. Elders are eliminated because they carry the memory of the future. This is genocide. America orchestrates it, using Israel as a hitman. The world is ruled by a mafia, and its headquarters are in the United States, the center of global Zionism. Humanity must rise up against this system of oppression.”

Yıldırım stressed that the flotilla’s mission goes beyond aid: “The ships are not only moving to deliver assistance. This is about shattering the blockade. This is the 17th voyage, and the main aim is to crack Israel’s stranglehold. We will not stop until the siege is broken.”

People’s Victory, Not States’

Yıldırım also criticized Western states for exploiting the recognition of Palestine as a token gesture without meaningful action: “Palestine was already a state. Its rights were usurped, its lands occupied. For years, governments claimed to ‘recognize’ Palestine but did nothing to stop Israel’s crimes. This sudden recognition by new states is not a triumph of governments, but of the people — the people whose protests in the streets of London, Paris, Washington, and Istanbul have shaken the world.”

He argued that this wave of recognition reflects the rising power of global solidarity movements, not the goodwill of political elites.

“No Matter What Happens, These Ships Will Sail”

Beheşti İsmail Songür, President of the Mavi Marmara Association and Türkiye Representative of the International Freedom Coalition, emphasized that the Israeli siege can only be broken from the sea: “From the very beginning, we faced enormous pressure and obstruction. The Vicdan ship was held at Haydarpaşa Port for seven months, then attacked off Malta and rendered unusable before undergoing months of repair. We despaired at times — not because of weakness, but because of Israel’s grip at sea and the procedural barriers it created. Yet we knew one truth: no matter what happens, these ships will set sail, break the blockade, deliver aid, and confront Israel’s boundless oppression.”

Call for Turkish and Global Support

Songür urged Türkiye’s maritime community — yacht owners, sailors, catamaran crews, and fishermen — to join the flotilla, saying: “Türkiye is closest to Gaza, yet we wait for ships from Spain, 2,000 miles away. Thousands of ships should set sail from our ports. Every vessel that sails is not just a boat, but a statement that humanity has not abandoned Gaza. This is not only a Palestinian cause; it is the duty of all mankind.”

He also pointed to the mounting political cost of Gaza in Europe, where protests have brought down ministers and governments: “Israel’s oppression is no longer a distant tragedy. It now touches our borders and destabilizes the entire world order. Humanity must act, and history will not forgive silence.”

Global Movement, Growing Pressure

At the Istanbul press conference, leaders from Hope Caravan Foundation (Umut Kervanı Vakfı), Cihannüma, and Memur-Sen also pledged their full support. They emphasized that the flotilla is no longer just about Gaza but about the conscience of the world, with ordinary people demanding justice where governments fail.

The Freedom Flotilla now sails not merely as a convoy of aid ships but as a symbol of global resistance. Each voyage recalls the sacrifice of past martyrs, renews international outrage at Israel’s crimes, and calls upon humanity to act.

Whether or not it reaches Gaza, the flotilla has already succeeded in exposing the siege, mobilizing global solidarity, and reminding the world that Palestine will not be silenced, and Gaza will not be forgotten. (ILKHA)