The Swiss delegation joins the Global Sumud Flotilla:
The flotilla leaves Catania and Greece, with Swiss citizens committed
to breaking the siege on Gaza.

The Swiss flotilla joins the Global Sumud Flotilla. After setting sail from Barcelona on 31 August, all the boats have now left Tunis, Catania, and Greece and are at sea en route to Gaza.

Thirty Swiss participants and residents are on board the seven boats that make up the Swiss flotilla. The first boat, named Heidi after our national heroine, will sail alongside the six others: Reem, Hind, Sham, Tala, Asser & Ayssel, and Sanaa, named after children from Gaza. These boats will carry infant milk and water purification filters.

The Waves of Freedom Association (WOFA) is the Swiss delegation of the international Global Sumud Flotilla initiative. WOFA acts independently and peacefully with humanitarian and international solidarity goals. It is chaired by Dr Hicham El Ghaoui, a medical doctor based in Switzerland who has completed three emergency medical missions at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younes, Gaza Strip.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is an international initiative bringing together hundreds of participants from 44 countries – 'Sumud' means 'perseverance' in Arabic. Through peaceful, legal, and non-violent action based on international human rights law and international humanitarian law, it aims to deliver urgently needed aid to Gaza, despite the blockade imposed on the territory, and to draw the international community's attention to the alarming humanitarian situation there.

Bringing together human rights defenders, journalists, parliamentarians, lawyers, citizens and humanitarian teams, the Global Sumud Flotilla has chosen to act – now – by calling on States to implement urgent measures: opening a humanitarian corridor; denouncing the illegal siege of the Gaza Strip; protecting the civilian population in Gaza, which is facing confirmed famine (UN statement of 22 August 2025) and undergoing renewed bombardment.

On the 9th of September, the Global Sumud Flotilla received official support from United Nations experts.

As a reminder, the naval blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007 is considered illegal under international humanitarian law and the law of the sea. The deprivation of food, water, medicine, and goods essential to the survival of Gaza's inhabitants constitutes war crimes and violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, as a civil, peaceful, non-violent and humanitarian initiative, must be protected under international law.

We call on the international community and governments to:

• guarantee safe passage for the flotilla;
• protect all participants from illegal detention and intimidation;
• defend the right to humanitarian maritime access to Gaza;
• demand an end to the illegal siege imposed by the Israeli government and the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people;
• promote transparency by encouraging the presence of independent media and observers alongside the mission;

The safety and protection of the Swiss citizens in the Swiss delegation to the flotilla depend on the attention and support of our authorities, the international community, and each and every one of us. It is therefore crucial to follow this initiative and give it global visibility to stop the crimes being committed in Gaza and ensure that the rights and dignity of the people of Gaza are fully respected.

Press contact :

presse@waves-of-freedom.ch

📥 Download press release (French & English)