Sunset on the Family, a boat in the Global Sumud Flotilla, as it sails for Gaza. Photo: Giovanna Vial

Editor’s Note: This piece was written as the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of vessels carrying humanitarian aid, sailed toward Gaza. On Oct. 1, the Israeli military intercepted this latest attempt to break the siege on Gaza, seizing vessels and arresting activists. See updates at the website of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

Since the beginning of this genocidal siege on the Gaza Strip, the sea has been turned into a wall of warships and weapons. But for so many of us, the sea still holds a different meaning: It’s the last breath of hope and a symbol of freedom that no one can take away. It is by sea that allies who choose to defy the blockade approach us.

Since 2010, many boats have set sail in an attempt to break the siege by sea, but all have been unsuccessful. Since the beginning of the current aggression that started on October 7, 2023, there have already been two powerful attempts of the Freedom Flotilla, attempts that still live in the hearts and memory of every Gazan.

The Madeleine ship departed on June 1, 2025, from Catania, Sicily. It carried on it the determination of people from around the world, some urgent aid, and a clear message that Gaza is not alone.

Its peaceful journey never made it to our shores. The Israeli navy intercepted it in international waters, detained those onboard, and turned the ship back.

Still, its mission wasn’t in vain. We were deeply moved by this attempt because it came at a time when every Palestinian in Gaza felt completely forgotten. Just knowing that someone, even from so far away, still felt our pain gave us a sense of hope.

The second attempt was made by the Handala ship, launched on July 13 from Syracuse, Italy. It was filled with heartfelt messages, food aid, and vital supplies. Like the Madeleine, it was stopped by the Israeli navy and never reached Gaza.

Now, a third attempt emerges, stronger and louder than ever before.

The Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza is a powerful symbol of global solidarity and human conscience. With more than 500 participants from over 44 countries, representing every continent on Earth, this flotilla set sail on August 31 from Barcelona. Despite Ben Gvir’s threats and plans to designate the activists as terrorists and to seize boats, they have not turned back.

Forty-two boats, plus two observer boats, joined together in the Global Sumud Flotilla. Photo: Giovanna Vial

They journey toward a known destination, but face an uncertain fate. Onboard are hundreds of activists, doctors, journalists, and human rights defenders, all coming from across the world to deliver a message of dignity, justice, and resistance.

On board the Sumud Flotilla sails Pablo Solars, a Jewish man from Argentina, one activist among many proving that a sense of humanity is more powerful than identity. Speaking ahead of the voyage, he said clearly that the world cannot stay silent on Gaza and called the siege by its name: a holocaust. “I’m a Jewish Argentinian,” he said, “and I’m here to do my duty and stand against this extermination.”

When my grandma and I heard his words in an Al Jazeera Arabic video report, we felt a sense of hope that a Jewish activist was involved in this work. We looked at each other and said, “This is the strongest proof to the world that our struggle is not against Jews, but against Zionism and oppression.” The solidarity of Pablo Solars reminds us all that justice has no religion, and that true humanity lives in the hearts of those who dare to stand for truth.

These activists and participants in the Sumud Flotilla remind me of our own determination and will. As Franco Romano, professor of international law at the Sorbonne University and participant in multiple flotillas to break the siege, said in the same Al Jazeera video, “The Palestinians in Gaza inspire us with their resilience and determination. … I had the option to return to my sons in California, but I chose instead to come here and try again to reach Gaza. My sons will understand my decision.”

His words resonate with those of us in Gaza who have sacrificed so much for this cause. They remind me of the martyred journalist Anas Al-Sharif, assassinated on August 10, 2025, simply for doing his duty: documenting the suffering of his people. He left behind his wife and two children, Sham and Salah. Like Franco, Anas made a choice, a choice to stand with his people, even when it cost him his life.

Both of them, though from different worlds, have acted out of the same conviction: Some truths are worth risking and sacrificing for.

Every time I see the people onboard ship, from places I’ve never been, people who don’t share my religion, language, or background, standing up for us, it does something to me. These people leave their homes and their jobs behind, willingly sailing into danger because they believe we deserve justice.

Some 500 participants from 44 different nations are on the boats. Photo: Hassan Massoud

Similarly, every time people from the Western world reach out through WhatsApp or Instagram—whether to say they’ve read my writing or just to check in—it touches me deeply.

They include two professors in the UK who check in with me every day, listening and offering encouragement. Another, an instructor in an online poetry course, regularly messages me, asking how I’m holding up and always tells me that my sister Huda and I are in her thoughts. Many others read and share my words on their Instagram profiles, amplify my voice, and check in on me through Instagram messages.

As long as there are people standing with us, even from afar, I know that our voices and stories are being heard and that we are not alone. And even if the ships from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition don’t reach us—yet—it sends a message to the occupation that its crimes will not stop those who stand in solidarity with Gaza.

It sends a message louder than any wall or weapon: The siege can close borders, but it can’t silence those who choose to stand with Gaza.