Photographs published by The Mail on Sunday show at least two members of the steering committee behind the Global Sumud Flotilla — a humanitarian convoy that lists Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg among its organizers — pictured with senior figures linked to Hamas and Hezbollah, raising questions about the backgrounds of some people helping to coordinate the mission.
One photograph, dated to June and cited by the newspaper, shows Wael Nawar, identified as the flotilla’s spokesman, standing beside Youssef Hamdan, whom the report describes as the head of Hamas’s North African operation. In the image, Nawar is draped in a scarf bearing the group’s emblem. The Mail on Sunday also published a picture it said showed Marouan Ben Guettaia, another committee member, sitting in front of a Hamas flag with the same Hamas official a few days later. A third committee member, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut in February and posted praise for the speaker, the newspaper said.
The Global Sumud Flotilla left Spain last week, organizers say, with the stated aim of delivering food and medical supplies to Gaza. The group describes itself as a coalition of activists seeking to provide humanitarian relief to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The steering committee is reported to include 13 individuals from several countries.
The photographs and the details published by The Mail on Sunday prompted questions about the links of some flotilla organizers to leaders of armed groups. Hamas and Hezbollah are militant organizations that are designated as terrorist groups by multiple governments and international bodies. The newspaper said the images were taken at an Algerian headquarters in June and on separate occasions in the months that followed.
Organizers of the flotilla did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the photographs and the report. Thunberg is listed among members of the steering committee on the project’s public materials; those materials make clear the aim of providing humanitarian aid by sea. Thunberg and other high-profile activists involved in previous maritime aid efforts have argued that flotillas are a form of nonviolent solidarity and a means of drawing attention to humanitarian crises.
The Global Sumud mission follows a long history of maritime efforts to reach Gaza, some of which have drawn international attention and controversy. Past flotillas have led to diplomatic friction, legal disputes and clashes at sea involving military forces enforcing maritime blockades. Organizers of such missions say their purpose is humanitarian; critics and some governments have questioned the affiliations of participants and the potential for political symbolism to complicate delivery of aid.
The Mail on Sunday’s report did not indicate that the flotilla’s ships were carrying weapons or combat matériel. It focused on published photographs and social media posts linking named committee members to meetings with or attendance at events associated with leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. Investigative and foreign correspondents who filed the story noted the timing of the photos and the committee members’ listed roles in coordinating the flotilla.
As the flotilla proceeds, the questions raised by the published images are likely to draw scrutiny from governments, humanitarian organizations and the media about who is organizing and representing international aid missions to Gaza. Officials and groups concerned with the neutrality of humanitarian operations say transparency about organizers and backers is important for ensuring safe access and maintaining humanitarian standards. The flotilla’s progress and any responses from its organizers may clarify the roles of the committee members and the extent to which personal contacts or past statements bear on the mission’s operations.