Global Sumud Gaza Flotilla

Seattle DSA Statement

This week the Israeli military illegally intercepted civilian vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla to block the humanitarian mission from delivering aid to the people of Gaza. It cannot be overstated that this flotilla’s mission is lawful under international law and Israeli aggression against it constitutes war crimes.

These war crimes – routinely committed with impunity by Israel – are designed to obstruct the delivery of aid, terrorize humanitarian volunteers, and maintain the forced starvation of besieged Palestinians in Gaza, in furtherance of their genocidal campaign and continued land theft.

For the past few weeks, Israel has leveraged terroristic, criminal intimidation tactics against the Global Sumud Flotilla, including: targeting vessels with flash grenade-type explosives dropped from drones, taking over civilian radio communication channels, and engaging in aggressive maneuvers with naval warships while dangerously close to civilian vessels. They have committed these acts while in international waters and despite naval escorts provided by Spanish, Italian, and Turkish governments at various stages of the flotilla’s journey through the Mediterranean Sea.

In a blatant attempt to pre-emptively justify their planned attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on X fabricated “evidence” of Greta Thunberg’s so-called terrorist affiliations, sharing photos which depicted her in proximity to alleged members of Hamas, which they then overlaid with the image of a target from a sniper scope.

The two individuals pictured, however – which Israel falsely identified as being just one person – were in fact former member of British Parliament, George Galloway, and Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan of Pakistan. These false claims and imagery are a direct threat on the activist’s life, as well as the lives of all other humanitarian volunteers that are with her as part of the flotilla. And yet, it is just one more example of many times Israel has been permitted to publicly proclaim their intention to commit war crimes. 

As a reminder: this is not the first time Israel has launched attacks against a humanitarian aid flotilla. Even prior to their current ongoing genocide, Israel has routinely engaged in this exact type of criminal aggression; in 2010, the Israeli navy attacked the Freedom Flotilla, killing nine activists. They have repeated this pattern of war crimes against humanitarian volunteers in 2011, 2015, 2018, and at least three times so far in 2025.

We condemn war crimes against humanitarian missions in the strongest possible terms, and we condemn international governments that have allowed these crimes to go unchecked. We stand in solidarity with all humanitarian workers and volunteers, Palestinian resistance, and all who suffer and are killed in the name of the genocidal colonial project known as Israel.

We call on the international community to make clear our objections to this attack on human rights by standing in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla and the people of Gaza by joining protest demonstrations wherever they are taking shape.

We also call on the international community to pressure our respective governments to protect the flotilla, enforce international law, and hold Israel accountable for their war crimes by imposing sanctions, suspending trade and diplomatic ties, withholding foreign aid and weapons sales, breaking the siege and blockade on Gaza, ending the genocide, and formally recognizing a Palestinian state.

As socialists within the imperial core, we recognize we have a unique obligation to defend Palestinians’ right to life, liberation, and self-determination. Without the United States government, Israel’s crimes would not be possible.

We encourage our fellow United States residents to join us in the fight against capitalism, imperialism, militarization, and western hegemony that maintains this culture of violence at home and abroad. We believe that a free Palestine will free us all. 

Solidarity forever.