The Sumud Flotilla and the Battle for the Sea: How Humanitarian Aid Became a “Terrorist” Act 

In October 2025, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders condemned the Israeli military’s violent interception of the non-violent Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters, an act it deemed a grave breach of international law.

The 462 activists aboard, including human rights defenders and journalists, were forcibly taken to Israel and subjected to arbitrary detention and ill-treatment, including physical violence, sleep deprivation, and denial of food, water, and legal counsel, which the organization characterized as a violation of the absolute prohibition of torture.

The Observatory linked this repression to a broader pattern of systematic torture and state-sanctioned violence by Israel, a policy chillingly legitimized by public statements from officials like Itamar Ben-Gvir, and it simultaneously condemned the international community’s failure to act, which it argued emboldens Israeli impunity and undermines global human rights commitments.

The Sumud Flotilla and the Battle for the Sea: How Humanitarian Aid Became a “Terrorist” Act 

Meta Description: An in-depth look at the 2025 Sumud Flotilla incident, the systematic use of torture in Israeli detention, and the global struggle to break the siege of Gaza. Explore the meaning of “Sumud” and why this non-violent movement threatens Israel’s narrative. 

Introduction: More Than a Boat, A Symbol 

In the dark of a Mediterranean night, somewhere in the vast, ungoverned space of international waters, a small flotilla of boats becomes the focal point of a global struggle. Onboard are not weapons, but wheat. Not soldiers, but surgeons. Their mission, dubbed the “Global Sumud Flotilla,” was a simple, profound act of defiance: to break the illegal siege of Gaza and deliver food and medicine. Their fate—violent seizure, arbitrary detention, and alleged torture—reveals a much darker story about the state of international law and the price of solidarity in the 21st century. 

The recent interception of the Sumud Flotilla by the Israeli military in October 2025 is not an isolated event. It is the latest chapter in a long-running, high-stakes drama on the high seas, where unarmed activists are cast as threats to national security, and humanitarian aid is treated as contraband. This incident, resulting in the detention of 462 individuals from around the world, including respected human rights leaders, lays bare a systematic policy of dehumanization and a desperate attempt to control the narrative around Gaza at any cost. 

What is “Sumud”? The Power of Steadfastness 

To understand the flotilla, one must first understand the concept of “Sumud” (pronounced soo-mood). An Arabic word, it translates to “steadfastness” or “perseverance.” In the Palestinian context, it is a profound cultural and political principle. It is the will to remain on your land, to preserve your identity, and to resist through mere existence in the face of overwhelming force. It is a passive, deeply resilient form of resistance. 

By naming their mission the “Global Sumud Flotilla,” the activists were making a powerful statement. They were not positioning themselves as aggressors or provocateurs. They were embodying solidarity; they were practicing a global form of Sumud. Their mission was to share the burden of steadfastness, to tell the people of Gaza through action that they are not forgotten. This framing is crucial, as it directly counters the Israeli government’s narrative that labels them “supporters of terrorism.” This was a non-violent, humanitarian mission rooted in a philosophy of peaceful endurance. 

A Pattern of Interception: The Flotilla’s Predecessors and the Legal Battlefield 

The 2025 Sumud Flotilla did not emerge from a vacuum. It follows in the wake of the infamous 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, where Israeli commandos raided a Turkish-led flotilla, killing nine activists and sparking international outrage. Since then, numerous attempts to reach Gaza by sea have been met with interception by the Israeli navy. 

The legal crux of the issue lies in the phrase “international waters.” Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a nation’s sovereignty extends 12 nautical miles from its coast. Beyond that, the high seas are free for all. Intercepting a vessel in international waters is generally considered an act of piracy unless it poses a direct and immediate threat, or is authorized by the UN Security Council. 

A boat carrying food and human rights observers, by any objective standard, does not constitute such a threat. Therefore, legal experts from the UN and organizations like the Observatory argue that these interceptions are, in fact, “grave breaches of international law.” They are, in essence, state-sanctioned kidnappings on the high seas. By repeatedly conducting these operations with impunity, Israel sets a dangerous precedent that a nation’s military reach can extend arbitrarily across the globe if it unilaterally declares a security need. 

From the Sea to the Desert: The Harrowing Journey of Detainees 

The ordeal for the Sumud activists did not end with their seizure at sea. According to testimonies compiled by groups like Adalah, their transfer to Israel and detention in facilities like Ketziot prison in the Naqab desert was a deliberate process of degradation and ill-treatment. 

Reports detail a litany of abuses that, if true, constitute clear violations of the absolute prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment under international law: 

• Physical Violence and Stress Positions: Activists reported being subjected to physical assaults and being forced into painful, contorted positions for extended periods, a known torture technique designed to break the spirit without leaving permanent marks. 

• Deprivation of Basic Sustenance: Denial of adequate food, clean drinking water, and critically, life-sustaining medication for those with pre-existing conditions. This is not merely neglect; it is a calculated tool of coercion. 

• Sensory and Sleep Deprivation: Being deprived of sleep is a classic psychological torture method, leading to disorientation, confusion, and a compromised mental state. 

• Isolation and Denial of Legal Counsel: Perhaps most telling is the reported denial of access to lawyers. For several hours, and in the case of individuals like Aziz Rhali and five others, for days, they were held incommunicado. This isolation is a hallmark of systems designed to hide abuse and extract information under duress. 

These conditions are not accidental. They are part of a documented pattern. As the Observatory statement notes, the OMCT and FIDH have extensively documented Israel’s systematic use of torture, a pattern they argue has reached “unprecedented levels of brutality” since October 2023. 

The Chilling Official Endorsement: When a Minister Legitimizes Abuse 

The most alarming aspect of the 2025 incident may be the official response. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir did not distance himself from the allegations. Instead, he publicly embraced them. He stated he was “proud” of the treatment of the activists, whom he called “supporters of terrorism” who “deserve the conditions of terrorists.” 

This statement is more than just inflammatory rhetoric. From a human rights perspective, it is a chilling indication of state policy. When a high-ranking government official explicitly condones and praises treatment that constitutes ill-treatment, it sends a clear message to the security apparatus that such conduct is not only permitted but encouraged. It seeks to legitimize the criminalization of peaceful solidarity and provides a political shield for those carrying out the abuse. It moves the violation from the realm of “rogue agents” to the realm of official sanction. 

The Deafening Silence: The Complicity of the International Community 

The Observatory’s condemnation extends beyond Israel to the “silence and inaction” of the international community, specifically naming the European Union. This is a critical point of insight. When EU citizens like Belgian lawyer and FIDH Vice-President Alexis Deswaef are arbitrarily detained and allegedly mistreated, the failure of their home governments and the EU as a bloc to mount a forceful diplomatic response is seen as a profound failure. 

This inaction is interpreted in two ways: 

• It emboldens Israeli impunity, reinforcing the belief that there will be no tangible consequences for violations of international law. 

• It undermines the credibility of the EU’s own foundational values and its professed commitment to a “rules-based international order.” 

The diplomatic tiptoeing around holding a strategic ally accountable creates a vacuum where human rights are negotiable and principles are conditional. This silence is not neutral; it is a form of complicity that actively enables the continuation of these practices. 

Conclusion: The Unbroken Chain of Solidarity 

Despite the violence, the detention, and the stigmatization, the flow of activists has not stopped. As the Observatory notes, even as they published their statement on October 8th, a new flotilla—the “Conscience” and the “Thousands Madleens to Gaza”—was being intercepted. This is the ultimate expression of Sumud. 

The battle for the sea around Gaza is a microcosm of the larger conflict. It is a battle over narrative, over law, and over the fundamental right to life and dignity. The Sumud Flotilla activists, by willingly sailing into the teeth of a military blockade, perform a powerful form of moral jiu-jitsu. They expose the paradox of a state that feels so threatened by bread and medicine that it must deploy its navy, kidnap civilians, and subject them to torture. 

Their journey from the decks of humanitarian boats to the cells of Ketziot prison is a dark testament to the current state of affairs. But their unwavering commitment, and the global solidarity they represent, is a flicker of hope. It is a reminder that as long as there are those willing to stand steadfast for human rights, the siege—both physical and moral—will never be complete. The world may be silent, but the sea, and the conscience it represents, continues to whisper of resistance.