The Global Sumud Flotilla, which made headlines in 2025 with a landmark arrival near Gaza under Israeli blockade, will renew the attempt, Hüseyin Durmaz, coordinator of the flotilla’s Türkiye delegation, said.
The flotilla, which included activists from around the world, departed from Barcelona last autumn to break through the blockade in an attempt to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians suffering under the Israeli occupation. Israeli forces, however, intercepted it and detained all activists aboard.
Durmaz told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday that a larger initiative or “coalition” will likely be formed by the spring to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. “This is because the cease-fire is not implemented fully and people of Gaza still do not have access to aid,” he said.
Israel on Sunday began revoking the operating licenses of 37 international organizations delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, saying they failed to meet requirements under new registration rules, according to the Israeli broadcasting authority KAN.
On Tuesday, the Israeli government began sending official notices to dozens of international organizations informing them that their licenses would be canceled starting from January 2026, and requiring them to end their activities by March of the same year.
Israel has killed more than 71,000 people, mostly women and children, in Gaza since October 2023 and destroyed the enclave. A cease-fire took effect in October 2025, but Israeli violations have continued.
Durmaz said Israel did not fulfill its promises and only around 50 aid trucks are allowed into Palestinian territories daily, instead of the number between 600 and 900 required to address the needs of the population. “Most of them are commercial trucks anyway, delivering goods to a population who cannot afford them,” he said. He pointed out that a harsh winter was underway in Gaza, but Israel did not allow aid material for accommodation into Gaza.
“This prompts us to take more global action, to raise awareness. When the global conscience manifested itself through the Global Sumud Flotilla and physically broke the blockade, Israel was forced to the cease-fire, in an attempt to alleviate global outrage,” Durmaz recalled.
He said that Israel was not trustworthy despite the cease-fire, and the problems the people of Gaza faced prevailed. “We see Israel is attempting various plans to fully evacuate Gaza. This drives us to plan larger, stronger actions,” he stated.
“We will continue to work in every way for Gaza and for all oppressed regions,” Durmaz said, adding:
“From our perspective, the most important goal was to instill the idea that a great deal can be done for Gaza. We wanted to show that global action is possible, that the people of Gaza have raised the world to this level of awareness, and that if we truly believe, we can take major steps and achieve results. We believe we have accomplished this. The global conscience has now awakened and has been mobilized in a lasting way.”
Durmaz said they expect attempts to manipulate public opinion with questions such as, “Aid is entering during the cease-fire process under Israel, why is there a need for such a flotilla?” He said this means a greater effort and determination are necessary.
Durmaz said they have repeatedly stated that they are facing "the greatest enemy in world history" and the "greatest evil" confronting humanity.
“They continue to struggle and make efforts to commit evil,” he said. “We, in turn, are compelled to find new paths and methods to be the voice of the people of Gaza and to generate bolder, larger and more unconventional ideas to eliminate the situation in Gaza and take action.”
Durmaz also emphasized the need to struggle for other oppressed regions beyond Gaza, adding that they must always demonstrate a firm stance and sustained effort.
