Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg’s participation in Gaza-bound flotillas has taken a disturbing turn, with intelligence reports revealing extensive connections between flotilla participants and designated terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah. Recent missions have included individuals who openly support terrorist leaders, attended funerals of eliminated terror chiefs, and expressed solidarity with October 7 massacre perpetrators.
The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail with among the participants being Hamas supporters who expressed support for the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack and massacre. Israel’s Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center has documented these concerning connections, revealing that what presents itself as a humanitarian mission serves as a platform for terrorist sympathizers and their supporters.
The flotilla’s very name – “Sumud” meaning “perseverance” in Arabic – has been adopted by Palestinian militant groups as a rallying cry for armed resistance against Israel. This terminology alone signals the mission’s political rather than purely humanitarian nature.
Among the most troubling participants in Thunberg’s June 2025 “Madleen” flotilla was Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, whose terrorist connections are extensively documented. Ávila attended the funeral of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and claimed he met the terror chief when he was 19.
Ávila described attending Nasrallah’s funeral as “a great honor” and referred to the Hezbollah leader as a “martyred saint and beloved leader”. Hezbollah invited a hundred influential personalities on social media to attend the funeral of its leader and praise the resistance, with Ávila among those specifically courted by the terrorist organization.
Ávila wrote on social media that he was ‘inspired’ by the Lebanese terrorist chief, demonstrating clear ideological alignment with a group responsible for killing hundreds of Americans and countless Israeli civilians. His presence alongside Thunberg raises serious questions about the vetting process for flotilla participants and the true agenda behind these missions.
The Gaza flotilla movement has long-standing connections to terrorist organizations. The main organizers of the Gaza flotilla were the Turkish IHH, a body for which there are strong indications of having terrorist links. The IHH (Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief) has been documented by multiple intelligence agencies as having connections to militant Islamic networks.
Lebanese flotilla organizers were found to have Hezbollah ties, though in public they deny all connection with Hezbollah. This pattern of denial while maintaining operational connections has become a hallmark of how terrorist organizations infiltrate seemingly legitimate humanitarian initiatives.
Ávila is not an isolated case among flotilla participants. Other activists have been documented dancing during Iran’s missile barrage against Israel, celebrating attacks on Israeli civilians. One participant was filmed altering a sign from “Destroy Hamas” to “Destroy Zionism”, revealing the anti-Semitic undertones beneath humanitarian rhetoric.
These documented behaviors demonstrate that flotilla participants include individuals who actively celebrate violence against Israelis and support internationally designated terrorist organizations.
Israeli intelligence analysis suggests these flotillas serve multiple purposes beyond their stated humanitarian goals. They provide propaganda victories for Hamas and Hezbollah, offer platforms for terrorist sympathizers to gain international legitimacy, and potentially facilitate intelligence gathering on Israeli naval operations.
The timing of flotilla missions often coincides with terrorist organization priorities, suggesting coordination rather than independent humanitarian initiative. The presence of individuals with documented terrorist connections transforms these missions from civilian humanitarian efforts into operations that directly serve terrorist organizational interests.
Thunberg’s association with individuals like Ávila raises serious questions about either her awareness of these connections or her indifference to them. As a high-profile figure lending legitimacy to these missions, she bears responsibility for the company she keeps and the causes she endorses.
The repeated nature of these flotilla attempts, despite consistent interception by Israeli forces, suggests their primary purpose is generating media attention and political pressure rather than delivering aid. Established humanitarian organizations successfully deliver aid to Gaza through coordinated channels with Israeli oversight, making the flotilla route unnecessary for purely humanitarian purposes.
The documented connections between flotilla participants and Hamas/Hezbollah raise potential legal issues regarding support for designated foreign terrorist organizations. Under international counter-terrorism laws, providing material support, including propaganda services and legitimacy, to designated terrorist groups can constitute criminal activity.
Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, implemented in 2007, remains legally justified under international maritime law as a response to Hamas control of the territory and continued rocket attacks. Attempts to breach this blockade during ongoing hostilities, particularly by individuals with documented terrorist connections, strengthen Israel’s legal position for enforcement action.
The evidence reveals Gaza flotillas as sophisticated operations that use expression of humanitarian concerns to hide systematic support for terrorist organizations. Thunberg’s participation legitimizes missions that include Hamas supporters, Hezbollah funeral attendees, and individuals who celebrate attacks on Israeli civilians.
These flotillas represent a dangerous evolution in how terrorist organizations exploit international humanitarian sentiment and celebrity activism for their operational and propaganda objectives. The documented terrorist connections among participants transform these missions from protest into operations that serve the strategic interests of designated foreign terrorist organizations.
Rather than delivering meaningful humanitarian aid, these flotillas primarily serve to provide international legitimacy and media platforms for individuals and organizations committed to Israel’s destruction through violent means.