Dozens of prominent Egyptian figures announced Saturday evening their intent to organize and sail with the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civil mission determined to pierce through Israel’s siege on Gaza.
In a public statement, 55 figures—including former parliamentarians, rights advocates, academics, journalists, artists, and cultural icons—declared their readiness to answer the international call. The statement appeared on “Egypt’s Sumud Flotilla to Break the Siege on Gaza” social media accounts.
“We, the undersigned, individuals and groups, declare our readiness to answer the call of the Global Sumud Flotilla and our will to prepare and participate in this flotilla at our own personal risk,” the statement read.
The signatories include former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi; former labor minister Kamal Abu Eita; opposition leader Ahmed Tantawy; former MP Haitham Elhariri; human rights lawyers Khaled Ali, Ragia Omran, and Aida Seif El-Dawla; renowned poet Zein Alabdin Fouad; mathematician-activist Laila Soueif; and economist Ahmed Al-Naggar, former chairman of Al-Ahram newspaper.
The group said they are preparing the Egyptian delegation of the flotilla through in-kind donations, “from boats to full logistical needs.” They called on captains, ship engineers, sailors, and maritime crews to register via a form attached to the statement, voicing hope for broad public engagement. They also invited supporters to a solidarity conference for Palestinian prisoners at the Press Syndicate on Sunday evening.
“Egypt’s participation in this flotilla represents a national and moral duty that cannot be postponed. It reinforces its historic role in supporting the Palestinian people,” the statement added.
The signatories urged President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the foreign minister, and all concerned authorities to facilitate the launch of the Egyptian convoy and to act decisively to stop “forced displacement and genocide.”
They also called on political parties, professional syndicates, and civil society groups to uphold their “historic responsibilities in this critical moment” by organizing and joining the mission.
Earlier this year, Egypt had obstructed activists from the Global March to Gaza movement from reaching Rafah, many of whom were subjected to violence from Egyptian authorities. Meanwhile, in 2010, a similar international solidarity convoy successfully reached Gaza through the Egyptian borders, despite strict Egyptian conditions.
The Egyptian announcement emerges on the heels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, organized by international spanning more than 44 countries, which set sail last Tuesday from Barcelona. The Sumud flotilla carries more than 300 international activists ships bound for Gaza. Additional vessels are set to join from Tunisia, Italy, and Greece in the coming days.
Israeli National Security Minister threatened Itamar Ben-Gvir last Sunday unveiled a plan to block what he called “the largest flotilla to Gaza.” His plan includes detaining all participants in Ketziot and Damon prisons, where conditions are typically inflicted on Palestinian detainees held under flimsy security charges.
Ben-Gvir's proposal promises to hold flotilla participants for extended periods and denied basic amenities—radio, television, special food—treatment Israel routinely reserves for Palestinian “security prisoners.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla builds on more than a decade of civil maritime missions aimed at ending the siege on Gaza, most notably the 2010 Freedom Flotilla. That mission included the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which was stormed by Israeli forces in international waters, killing 10 civilians and wounding dozens.
Since then, several ships have attempted to reach Gaza. In May, Israeli drones attacked the ship Conscience near Malta. In June, Israeli forces intercepted the Madleen en route from Sicily, detaining its crew and deporting them. The same fate met the ship Handala.
Organizers maintain that the flotilla’s goals are to deliver humanitarian aid, confront the Israeli blockade, and draw international attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
