Greek citizens from Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla return home
Flight also carried 134 citizens from 15 other European countries
File photo of activists who were illegally detained by Israel on Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla arrive in London, United Kingdom on October 5, 2025
LONDON
A total of 27 Greek nationals who were detained following Israel’s raid on the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters have safely returned to Athens on a special repatriation flight, Greece said Monday.
The operation was coordinated by the Foreign Ministry and the Greek Embassy in Tel Aviv.
In a statement, the ministry said the flight also carried 134 citizens from 15 other European countries.
The flotilla, made up of activists from various nations, had set sail to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza when it was attacked by Israeli forces in international waters last week.
Israeli naval forces attacked and seized vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla, beginning on Wednesday, detaining more than 470 activists from over 50 countries. The flotilla was trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade of the enclave.
Israel has maintained the blockade of Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years.
Since October 2023, Israeli military operations have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza — most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave all but uninhabitable, with widespread starvation and the spread of disease.
