As a gentle breeze sweeps across the Greek island of Syros, a giant Palestinian flag adorning the docked sailboat begins to stir. Activists here are busy at work, stocking up supplies and tightening the ropes ahead of what is meant to be a historic mission to Gaza. Among those still gearing up to break the siege with the Global Sumud Flotilla is 34-year-old Navid, a Belgian activist who is making this journey for the second time. He knows all too well what waits beyond the harbour's calm waters: surveillance, potential interception, and even a chance that this mission could end before reaching its goal. "I think they are more afraid of us than we are of them," says Navid resiliently about his second mission.
"What we saw last time is that they are not as strong as they want us to believe. They are not as organised as they want us to believe," he tells The New Arab. Navid is one of many activists rejoining the Global Sumud Flotilla for a second attempt, aiming to break the siege, deliver aid, and reignite international focus on Palestine, which has waned in recent months.
The last flotilla was intercepted in October 2025 , with activists recounting days in prison and abuse at the hands of the Israeli military, but in many cases, it seems to have hardened the resolve. For activists like Navid, coming back a second time is a message to Israel that their intimidation failed.
“I will not stop being an activist for Palestine," Navid continues. "Every time we need to reassess the methods, but whether this mission is a success or not, it will not be the end of the fight against fascism."
Navid is joining the flotilla from Greece, where a number of boats are still preparing to meet the broader fleet, which embarked from Spain and Italy in the weeks prior.
"Breaking the siege is only one step," he adds. "Opening the humanitarian corridor is the goal."
Up to 1,000 participants were expected to join this year's flotilla, with nearly 100 boats anticipated to make their way to Greece in early May in what would be the biggest flotilla to date.
The sheer scale of its operation was one of the main drivers that many participants believed would enable them to reach Gaza's shores. However, the flotilla has encountered unexpected hurdles much earlier than planned this year.
On 29 April, the flotilla was rocked by an unprecedented interception by Israeli military boats, internationally condemned as an act of "piracy", resulting in the violent detainment of around 175 activists in international waters as they made their way toward Greece, more than 600 nautical miles away from Gaza.
A number of boats may have been put out of action as a result, but others were able to evade the overnight military raid and find sanctuary by the shoreline of Crete.
It's understood that Greek coast guards were present during the interception, with most of the kidnapped activists later handed over to Greek authorities. There remains significant uncertainty about what is evolving, but many participants seem resolved to push ahead despite Israel's latest action, with hopes the flotilla will regroup in Greek waters and proceed with sailing to Gaza.
Among the second-time comrades preparing to board in Greece is Greek nurse Anna, 36, who took several weeks off work from the public sector to sign up again to sail to Gaza and help in a medical capacity. "We have to fight because this is unjust — the situation here is very unjust," she said, adding that the Greek government is "very corrupt." Anna is one of many friendly faces deeply involved with the Greek movement, preparing to sail from Syros.
International participants have also arrived on the island in recent years from countries like the Netherlands and Ireland. Like many second-time participants, Anna is returning with lessons from her first mission to help others prepare. "I feel that I have a responsibility to [other comrades]," says Anna, who dutifully performs health checks on participants meant to board in the days running up to departure.
"I have to prepare them to share with them what I have experienced, so they will know what's about to happen."
This year is also unfolding under different circumstances, with the movement receiving pushback from some former supporters and criticism over organisational issues.
Those on the ground remain undeterred, with many saying this year's flotilla feels more structured and organised thanks to new training and preparation.
One of the latest setbacks, however, was news from Thousand Madleens, a fellow flotilla movement, that it would not sail with GSF in the spring movement. "The context is not the same, the support is not the same, the necessity is the same, so we are still doing it," Navid explains.
Despite what appears to be mounting obstacles, it is the ordinary people who choose to take part in the face of all the odds that give this movement its momentum. Navid is a dedicated activist and was hard at work in Belgium before arriving in Greece, raising awareness of the movement and sharing insights from his last mission, when he joined the Madleen alongside Greta Thunberg, Thiago Avila, and others.
One of his biggest takeaways was that last year the boats were just one part of a much bigger movement — a message he carries forward into the upcoming journey. "The last action was not performative," Navid continued. "We were at the sea, but millions of people were in the street. And that's what made the strength of the flotilla," he said. "It was not the boat, it was the boat being carried by the rest of the actions."
Urging for a similar momentum this year, he added: "We need to keep putting the pressure where it hurts — we need to hurt the system." Like many of those returning for a second time this year, there is a sense that those detained this week by Israel could be driven by a similar conviction — that returning to the flotilla again itself is an act of resistance. Tamara Davison is a British freelance journalist reporting across the Middle East on humanitarian issues, post-conflict resolution and migration. She is currently in Syros reporting on the flotilla mission Follow her on Instagram: @ tamaradavison_