We post this story from il Manifesto, the Communist newspaper from Rome. We do so because the flotillas have managed to focus more attention on the starvation of the people in Gaza by Israel. Also, solidarity with the flotilla has motivated millions of workers, particularly in Italy and Spain, to go on strike in solidarity with the Palestinians. Trump can claim that Greta Thunberg is a troublemaker all he likes, but the political pressure is on him to come up with a solution. Trump looks like he is losing part of his political base because of United States support for the genocide. Ian Curr, 9 October 2025.
Freedom at the gates of Gaza. Piazzas ready to light up.
The echo of the Global Sumud Flotilla mission, the controversies, and the horror stories of illegal detentions in Israeli prisons remain at the centre of the debate in Italy. And right now, another mission is just a stone’s throw away from the waters of Gaza.
Although its progress has been largely overshadowed by the media – partly due to the high visibility gained by Sumud – the joint expedition of Thousand Madleens and Freedom Flotilla, consisting of eleven boats led by the flagship Conscience, is no less important. The former departed on 25 September from the port of Catania, the latter on 30 September from Otranto. “Nine arrived because the Greek port authority, during a technical stopover in Crete, seized two on a pretext,” says Michele Borgia, spokesperson for Freedom Flotilla Italia.
Like Sumud – with whom this project collaborates – the goal of the doctors, nurses and journalists on board is to break the siege and bring aid to the population: on board there are dozens of tonnes of humanitarian supplies, but above all healthcare and journalism professionals, who have been among the hardest hit in these two years of genocide.
“We are aware of the impact that well-known faces on board have, we have been organising actions for 18 years,” continues Borgia, “but our goal this time was to try to break the siege with professionals, people of culture or activists who perhaps had not found a place in other missions.” With Sumud, explains Borgia, but some delays due to various causes led the two missions to reach their destination a few days apart: “We would have preferred to avoid overlapping with Sumud, but circumstances did not allow for different timings.”
Despite some delays and rough seas in the coming hours, it seems certain that the flotilla will reach the red zone (the area in international waters where Israel has already intercepted other missions) this morning. The Shireen, the GSF’s legal boat and one of the two vessels from the first flotilla that escaped seizure, also left Cyprus on Sunday.
The vessel, with five lawyers on board, was tasked with gathering evidence and testimony useful for future legal action. As soon as the Israeli attack began, it moved away. Once again, its role was to observe: the planned meeting with the flotilla in the interception zone was supposed to take place between yesterday and today, but the coalition deemed it appropriate to avoid any Israeli intervention coinciding with the anniversary of the massacre carried out by Hamas. Shireen therefore returned to Cyprus, while the Conscience – purchased by the Mavi Marmara Foundation with compensation funds paid by Israel for the 2010 assault – and the other boats continue towards Gaza. However, sea conditions have worsened and bad weather is expected just as the army is likely to intervene.
Meanwhile, in Italy, the Flotilla Coalition is on high alert. “We have appealed to the Italian government, the European Union and the UN to guarantee the safety of the participants,” concludes Borgia. And while the ‘piazzas’ are preparing to mobilise in support of the 250 people, including a dozen Italians, who could be arrested and taken to Israel, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni treats the new humanitarian expedition with contempt: “The government delivers 40 tonnes of aid in a morning,” she said dismissively on Rai 1’s Cinque minuti, reiterating the mantra that attempts to force the Israeli blockade are merely initiatives to “create problems for the government”. Meloni prefers controversy: “The naval blockade has been in place since 2009. Did Giuseppe Conte not realise there was a naval blockade? Why did he not raise the issue?”
WHILE THE TRACKER on the Flotilla website shows the nine boats now on the threshold of the “red zone”, Italy waits with bated breath in solidarity.
https://ilmanifesto.it/la-freedom-alle-porte-di-gaza-piazze-pronte-ad-accendersi
https://facebook.com/events/s/public-meeting-solidarity-in-a/1128924786111849/
Seventy to eighty unionists attended Friday night’s welcome home for Juliet Lamont and Hamish Paterson at the Queensland Unions building, South Brisbane. Juliet and Hamish spoke of their experiences on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and the meeting was addressed by Jacqueline King, Queensland Unions General Secretary and Paul Gallager, Maritime Union of Australia – QLD Branch Assistant Branch Secretary. The meeting was significant, strengthening links between the pro-Palestine and local union movements.