‼️ Israel accuses Global Sumud Flotilla of being ‘Hamas project,’ says ships owned by Hamas
‼️ Israel accuses Global Sumud Flotilla of being ‘Hamas project,’ says ships owned by Hamas
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Israel’s Foreign Ministry is now accusing the Global Sumud Flotilla of being a Hamas project, claiming newly uncovered documents from Gaza show direct links between flotilla leaders and Hamas’s overseas network.
Israel points to the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), which it describes as Hamas’s foreign wing, as the body mobilizing flotillas under civilian cover. It highlights an alleged 2021 letter from Ismail Haniyeh endorsing the PCPA, a list of operatives that includes long-time flotilla organizer Zaher Birawi, and the role of Saif Abu Kashk, head of a Spanish company alleged to own vessels participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla: “Thus, these ships are secretly owned by Hamas,” says the foreign ministry.
Israel is framing the Sumud Flotilla as a Hamas operation, using these documents to brand it as ‘terrorist’-linked rather than humanitarian — a narrative that gives a pretext for attacking the fleet.
This accusation follows recent public comments from former Israeli military figures calling for forceful military action. Admiral (Res.) Eliezer “Chayni” Marom, who oversaw the 2010 Mavi Marmara attack, warned: “(The arrival of the flotilla) is a very complex event, and it could definitely end in high friction, and in loss of life and property.” Lt. Col. (Res.) Maurice Hirsch, a 19-year veteran of Israel’s Military Advocate General Corps, added: “Anyone who tries to break the blockade, we should just drown them … If we’d done that 10 years ago (referring to Mavi 2010), other flotillas wouldn’t have arrived.”