&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Israel claims documents from Gaza show Hamas's ‘direct involvement’ in aid flotilla with Greta Thunberg on board")
Israeli authorities have claimed on Tuesday (Oct 1) that documents recovered by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip demonstrated Hamas’s direct involvement in an international aid flotilla known as the “Samud” (or Sumud) flotilla. This flotilla, which includes dozens of boats, is reportedly sailing to challenge Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Among the participants is Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The claims came amid reports that the Israeli security forces boarded the flotilla.
What Israel has said about Samud flotilla
Israel has made detailed claims linking the Samud flotilla and its leadership to Hamas via documents found in Gaza. These claims rely heavily on documents dated from 2021 and on Israel’s designation of the PCPA as a Hamas front, even as activists involved in the flotilla deny any connection to Hamas.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. claimed that the documents showed that the flotillas, including the Global Samud Flotilla, are “secretly owned” or operated by Hamas through affiliated organisations.
Gaza aid flotilla row: What is the PCPA?
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Israel has pointed in particular to the involvement of a Hamas-affiliated body known as the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), which it accuses of managing these flotilla operations under civilian cover. PCPA was set up in 2018, and according to the Israeli government, it functions as Hamas’s representative body abroad, operating as ‘a de facto network of embassies.’ Israel designated the PCPA as a terrorist organisation in 2021, claiming it serves as a front for Hamas’s foreign activities.
The Israeli foreign ministry said the PCPA is responsible for mobilising anti-Israel actions on behalf of Hamas, including violent protests, marches, and flotillas intended to provoke confrontation with Israel. The ministry claimed the organisation presents itself as civilian while coordinating operations on Hamas’s behalf.
What is the Samud flotilla?
The Samud (or Sumud) flotilla is one of several maritime missions aiming to bring aid to Gaza amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. These efforts challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
On September 25, the flotilla reportedly faced a drone attack while moored near the small Greek island of Koufonisi, south of Crete. Activists aboard blamed Israel for the explosions heard around their vessels late on 24 September. Greece has stated it would ensure safe passage of the flotilla within its territorial waters.
Also read: Trump the ‘peacemaker’? 10 takeaways from his Gaza peace plan that has Netanyahu's backing
The flotilla includes international activists including Thunberg. The flotilla’s stated aim is to deliver humanitarian aid and draw attention to the situation in Gaza.
What documents does Israel claim to have found, linking Hamas to aid flotilla?
Two specific documents found in Gaza support the claim of Hamas’s involvement in the Samud flotilla, claimed Israel.
First is a letter from 2021 allegedly signed by Ismail Haniyeh, then-head of Hamas’s Political Bureau. The letter reportedly called for unity between Hamas and the PCPA. Israeli authorities claimed this showed Hamas’s explicit endorsement of the PCPA’s activities, including its involvement in flotilla operations. Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli operation in Iran in 2024.
There is also a list naming dozens of individuals described as PCPA operatives, as per Israel, which said it included known Hamas members.
Also read: Gaza situation ‘beyond catastrophic’: UN reveals 86% of aid does not reach starving Palestinians
Zaher Birawi, identified as the head of the PCPA’s Hamas operations in the UK and allegedly a long-time organiser of flotillas to Gaza, is among them. So is Saif Abu Kashk, described by Israel as a PCPA operative based in Spain. Israel also claimed that Kashk is the CEO of a company called Cyber Neptune, based in Spain, which allegedly owns many of the ships in the Samud flotilla. This document was reportedly recovered from a Hamas outpost in Gaza and is being cited as further evidence of direct operational links between Hamas and the flotilla organisers.
The Israeli claims have not been independently verified
Activists associated with the flotilla, including those involved in the Free Gaza Movement and similar groups, have historically denied ties to Hamas and assert that their missions are peaceful and humanitarian in nature.
