Urgent: government must protect the Gaza aid flotilla

Posted: 24th September 2025

Last night we received urgent messages from the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza that some of their boats have been damaged in what seems to have been a drone attack. Luckily nobody has been hurt, but all those onboard are now on high alert.

These boats are on a mission to break Israel’s illegal siege and deliver much-needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza who are facing Israel’s genocide. The British government must act now to protect the flotilla and those onboard, and take action to end its complicity in Israel’s genocide.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is a fleet of boats carrying civilians: journalists, doctors, artists, clergy, lawyers and seafarers, all joined together with a commitment to nonviolent action to break Israel’s illegal siege and to deliver much-needed aid to the Palestinian people. There are at least 13 British nationals onboard.

Israel’s illegal siege on the Gaza Strip, and its broader apartheid control over the Palestinian people, have laid the groundwork for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. This has been facilitated by the British government’s active support for Israeli apartheid and genocide, particularly through its arms trade with Israel.

At her speech to the UN this week, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper spoke about Palestinian “children dying of starvation while food rots at the border” and about how the Israeli government is holding back aid. She did not mention that the British government has continued to arm Israel as it inflicts famine and genocide, and because of this, ordinary people like those on the flotilla have taken it upon themselves to try to deliver aid.

The British government must urgently protect the flotilla and the civilians on board, and immediately take the steps necessary to stop British participation in Israel’s genocide.  

As the Global Sumud Flotilla approaches the Gaza coast in the next few days, we’ll be keeping in touch with those on board. They are requesting that everyone support their aid mission by keeping watch, and by continuing to escalate pressure on the British government to stop arming Israel now, and do everything in its power to facilitate the delivery of aid to Palestinians by breaking Israel’s illegal siege.