Brazilian Activist vows Gaza Aid Flotilla will continue despite ceasefire

Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, one of the leading organizers of the international aid flotilla to Gaza, has vowed that the mission to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians will continue despite the newly announced ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Speaking to reporters upon his return to Brazil, Avila said the ceasefire agreement “does not address the illegal blockade of Gaza” imposed by Israel and its allies. “As long as there is no justice for the Palestinian people, the flotilla will continue,” he declared.

Avila was among 13 Brazilians aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla — a convoy of 45 vessels intercepted by Israel last week. The Israeli authorities detained and deported more than 470 people on board, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Israel has repeatedly blocked international flotillas attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold after nearly two years of intense Israeli military operations. The blockade has severely restricted humanitarian supplies entering the enclave.

Avila said some activists faced mistreatment while in Israeli custody, though Israel denied the allegations. “There were violations that will be reported to international courts, but they are nothing compared to what Palestinians are enduring,” he stated.

He also described cases of “physical violence” and “forced interrogations,” adding that some detainees, including diabetics, were denied medication for days.

The Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail to deliver life-saving aid to Gaza, but Israeli forces intercepted it before it reached its destination.

The ceasefire agreement, announced on Thursday, follows more than two years of conflict triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure, destroying schools, hospitals, and homes, and killing at least 67,194 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry.