The flotilla organized by the anti-Israel group Global Sumud Flotilla — joined by activist Greta Thunberg and actress Susan Sarandon — is not a humanitarian mission but rather a cover operation coordinated by Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, according to a report issued by the Diaspora and Antisemitism Ministry.
Drone attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla
The report finds that the flotilla is not an innocent aid effort but a propaganda campaign that seeks to grant international legitimacy to terrorism under the language of “human rights,” while ignoring the October 7 Hamas attacks and atrocities. Presenting the flotilla as a humanitarian mission, the report says, is meant to whitewash the narrative of terror organizations and exert pressure on ports, shipping companies and foreign governments.
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Direct and indirect proxies for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood
(Photo: Diaspora and Antisemitism Ministry.)
The flotilla departed from Barcelona and is currently docked in Tunisia, its last stop before Gaza, after delays caused by technical issues. While activists claim they intend to “break the siege on Gaza” and provide humanitarian aid, the ministry said the operation is backed by networks directly and indirectly linked to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The report identifies three main components:
The humanitarian façade, in which organizers frame the flotilla as carrying activists and medical supplies, though Israel has repeatedly offered over the years to transfer humanitarian goods directly to Gaza, only to have flotilla organizers refuse.
The civic-public axis, in which groups such as March to Gaza and BDS organizations mobilize students and grassroots activists in more than 100 protest locations worldwide, generating sustained public pressure on ports and shipping companies while normalizing pro-Hamas presence.
The Palestinian-international axis, in which movements such as Global March to Gaza and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition coordinate messaging, timing and propaganda across Telegram, webinars and influencer networks. After Egypt blocked the Sumud Convoy land march to Gaza in June, organizers shifted their efforts back to a maritime flotilla. These groups were also behind the infamous 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla and maintain direct and indirect ties to terror groups, including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Turkish IHH.
The ministry also highlighted a religious dimension. Initiatives such as the Algerian Initiative to Support Palestine and Aid Gaza and the Association of Muslim Scholars provide ideological backing with historical and modern links to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. Clerics, including Sheikh Yahya Sari, head of the Algerian initiative, serve as religious legitimizers of terror activity against Israel.
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Yahya Sari alongside senior Hamas figures
(Photo: Use under Section 27A of the Copyright Law)
Sari has been photographed with senior Hamas officials, including Osama Hamdan and Zaher Jabarin in 2022, and in January 2024 he held an official meeting in Algeria with Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim, who heads the group’s international relations department. The meeting, part of Sari’s Gaza aid initiative, expressed Hamas’ appreciation for Algerian support, strengthened ties with local religious and civic groups and underscored the strategic partnership between Hamas and social movements in North Africa.
“The report proves that behind a humanitarian disguise lies a mechanism serving Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood as part of a broader delegitimization campaign against Israel," said Diaspora and Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli. "These efforts fuel global antisemitism and provide tailwinds for terror organizations. Our ministry will continue to lead the fight against delegitimization, combat antisemitism and stand at the forefront of the struggle against terrorism — in every arena and international forum. I call on the international community to act. Today this is Israel’s problem; tomorrow it will be yours.”