The Global Sumud Flotilla and Gaza: A Beacon of Resistance Against Racism and Oppression
ENAR Statement in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla and Gaza – Brussels, 3/10/2025
During the night of 1-2 October, the Israel Defense Forces illegally[1] intercepted and abducted activists and citizens of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF)[2] in international waters, while escalating bombardments in Gaza. The Flotilla, like other non-violent civilian missions in the past[3], aimed at breaking the siege to deliver food, water, and medical supplies, in a context of forced famine through blockage of humanitarian aid. Hindering such missions violates international law, as stated by the International Court of Justice[4].
ENAR strongly condemns Israel’s illegal actions and calls for an immediate end to the genocide of the Palestinian people. As the only pan-European anti-racism network, we stress that human rights violations beyond Europe are tied to our mission. Racism fuels genocides and sustains global systems of hierarchy, exploitation, and colonialism.[5] And when famine is deliberately weaponised as a tool for genocide, such coordinated action goes beyond safeguarding basic human rights – it becomes an act of resistance.
International law obliges states to prevent genocide and to protect civilians, yet too often are these duties ignored. In recent months, several states have recognised Palestine[6] and the EU has pledged to protect civilians in Gaza[7]. Yet, the recent attacks on the GSF highlight the urgent need to move beyond symbolic gestures towards concrete measures to protect the Palestinian population and the people standing in solidarity with them internationally. It is now time for Member States and EU institutions to act in full accordance with international law. We call on the EU and all Member States to:
- Urge Member States that are now finding their voice to act decisively or risk proving their complicity through inaction.
- Secure the immediate release of all arrested GSF humanitarians and full transparency on their arrests.
- Suspend trade and academic ties and demand the immediate Israel’s suspension of the blockades to allow for humanitarian aid.
- Call for an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza, backed by concrete international pressure, for instance discussing the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement during the Foreign Affairs Council Meeting on the 20th of October.
The Global Sumud Flotilla represents more than a humanitarian mission and more than mere symbolic solidarity with Palestine. It embodies global resistance to systemic racism and to the erosion of human rights enabled by the far right. And as anti-racist movements and activists, we must stand with human rights defenders, unite and act against all repressions and genocides, from Palestine to Congo and from Sudan to Rohingya.
Oppression is global, solidarity must be global too.
[1] According to Article 39 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, piracy is defined as “any illegal act of violence, detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed: (a) on the high seas, against another ship or against persons or property on board such a ship; (b) against a ship, persons or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any State.” This has been reiterated by the UN’s special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, who has described the interceptions as an “illegal abduction”.
[2] Among the humanitarian activists of the GSF, half of the Bureau of the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup has been involved in the mission, namely MEPs Benedetta Scuderi, Mélissa Camara and Rima Hassan. MEPs Scuderi and Hassan got arrested on the night between the 1st and 2nd of October.
[3] Since 2008, civil society-led maritime missions have sought to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid. Notably, the Free Gaza Movement initiated sails in 2008, successfully landing ships such as the Liberty and Free Gaza with medical supplies. Subsequent missions, including the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), has organized multiple humanitarian missions since 2010 to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza. These missions, including the Gaza Freedom Flotilla (2010), Freedom Flotilla III (2015), the Women’s Boat to Gaza (2016) and the Just Future for Palestine Flotilla (2018), aimed to deliver essential aid. These efforts have been met with interception and detention by Israeli forces.
[4] ICJ, Application of the Genocide Convention (South Africa v. Israel), Orders of 26 Jan. 2024, 28 March 2024, and 24 May 2024; see also Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, arts I-II; Geneva Conventions I-IV, Common Art. 3. The Court affirms that obstructing humanitarian assistance in situations of mass atrocity violates international law.
[5] ENAR’s blogpost, ‘The Anatomy of Genocides: From Silence to Accountability,’ authored by Policy and Advocacy Advisor Emmanuel Achiri, examines the structural and racial dynamics underpinning genocides, emphasising the role of systemic racism and colonial legacies in facilitating humanitarian atrocities.
[6] Les Décodeurs, Le Monde, Map: The countries that recognise a Palestinian state, September 23,2025.
[7] In 2025, 11 new states – 8 of which from Europe – recognised the Palestinian state, as reported by Al Jazeera.
