Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Wednesday announced that he imposed sanctions on the fundraising campaign for the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, “organized by Hamas and international organizations under the guise of a humanitarian aid flotilla.”
The flotilla, which includes over 100 ships that departed from Turkey, Spain, and Italy, and around 1,000 participants, is slated to reach Israel in several days and will be intercepted by the Israeli Navy.
It should be noted that, according to a Ynet report earlier this month, a major controversy has rocked the flotilla after multiple female volunteers accused a senior organizer of harassment. Brazilian national Thiago Avila, who has participated in multiple flotilla missions, was identified in some of the claims. The flotilla has continued on its route, but the controversy led to internal and external flak, with critics questioning the organizers’ priorities amid internal dissent, a lack of focus on “humanitarian goals”, and a lack of funding transparency over the amount of “aid’ that reaches Gaza.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu cut short his court testimony on Wednesday morning to attend an urgent security meeting with top IDF officials at Kirya regarding the flotilla.
The flotilla organizers have openly declared that their goal is to “break the blockade” on the Strip, and the security establishment is preparing for every scenario in order to prevent harm to Israel’s sovereignty and security.
Following the meeting, Katz signed an order imposing sanctions on the flotilla’s fundraising campaign as part of the financial campaign led by Israel’s security establishment against Hamas and against efforts to destabilize the Gaza Strip. The move, which was made with US involvement, followed extensive efforts by the Israeli Navy, Military Intelligence, and the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing, which reportedly demonstrated that Hamas has been using international organizations as cover to channel funds and acquire vessels.
Security officials noted that the flotilla mission violates UN Resolution 2803, which states that aid to the Strip must enter through the official channels, and therefore undermines the stabilization efforts being led by the Trump administration as part of broader regional stability efforts.
It was also noted that individuals involved in raising funds for the flotilla, which are being raised without transparency to the public, were recently arrested in Tunisia on suspicion of money laundering and corruption, and the organizers were detained in several locations over similar suspicions.
The sanctions allow for the seizure of assets and the disruption of the flotilla’s funding sources, with the aim of deterring donors from contributing to a terror-linked initiative.
Section 56(b) of the law states that the defense minister may order the seizure of property belonging to a declared terrorist organization, or property intended for a serious terrorism offense, if necessary to thwart terrorist activity and damage the organization’s ability to advance its goals, or to prevent a serious terror offense and seize property used directly in such an offense.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
