Update: VI sailor Dane Hunter arrested by
The Global Sumud Flotilla was made up of 44 civilian boats with an estimated 500 people onboard and was trying to break Israel's sea blockade. In an update on Facebook today, October 3, 2025, Ilyss...
The Global Sumud Flotilla was made up of 44 civilian boats with an estimated 500 people onboard and was trying to break Israel's sea blockade. In an update on Facebook today, October 3, 2025, Ilyssa Forman reported that everyone from the flotilla was transferred from the Port of Ashdod to the Ketziot Detention Centre in the Negev desert, where, according to Forman, it is notorious for its mistreatment and abuse of prisoners.
Forman claimed the flotilla participants were completely deprived of food and water yesterday. Many of them have also begun an open-ended hunger strike to protest Israel's illegal interception of the humanitarian flotilla. Since being detained, according to Forman, participants have been visited by two Israeli ministers, including Ben-Gvir, who has accused the flotilla participants of being terrorists. “He then does a 'walkthrough' of one of the seized ships from the flotilla to prove that there was no humanitarian aid on board.
These are, of course, lies meant to manufacture consent for continued violence against Palestinians.” ‘This is all very scary’ In her Facebook post at 5:39 AM, Forman said the final ship from the Sumud Freedom Flotilla was just intercepted, and that more ships are coming from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madleens to Gaza. “Amid all of this, I picture Dane continuing to embody strength, resilience, steadfastness, and light.
This is all very scary, but know that Dane is not there alone—they are surrounded by hundreds of comrades who made this journey with them. And there are lawyers and advocates working around-the-clock to help get them out as soon as possible.” Forman pleaded for pressure to be put on the governments in the US and Virgin Islands to demand Dane's immediate release.
Our News Centre reached out to both Governor Daniel Pruce and Premier Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley regarding Mr Hunter’s detention; however, no response was received up to the time of publication. See previous article published October 2, 2025 UK slammed for doing nothing as Israel attacks flotilla delivering aid to Gaza - VI sailor Dane Hunter is part of Global Sumud Flotilla Several boats from a large aid flotilla trying to reach Gaza have been boarded by Israeli authorities - with campaigner Greta Thunberg among those removed- while some of the vessels have reportedly come under attack by drones and water cannons.
And the United Kingdom (UK) government is being condemned by its own citizens for failing to intervene to allow the safe passage of the flotilla to the war-torn territory. The Global Sumud Flotilla is made up of 44 civilian boats with an estimated 500 people onboard, and is trying to break Israel's sea blockade.
Virgin Islands sailor Dane Hunter is also part of the flotilla. According to The Independent, the flotilla was confronted by Israeli warships overnight, October 1, 2025, and detained hundreds of activists onboard. The flotilla ignored requests to turn back and organisers said the interception was illegal as it happened in "international waters" around 80 miles off the coast.
Greg Stoker, a US veteran who's involved, told Sky News water cannon had been used on some of the boats. UK urged to fulfill its ‘moral duty’ British-Polish national Ewa Jasiewicz, who lives in London, was sailing the treacherous journey 15 years after reportedly witnessing Israeli forces kill nine of her fellow activists during a raid on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in 2010.
She was one of many detained by Israeli forces. “I'm stunned that [prime minister Sir Keir Starmer] can be this morally and ethically bankrupt, is this what being in power does to somebody? I'm not just baffled, I'm disgusted as well,” Ms Jasiewicz, one of Sir Keir’s constituents, told The Independent, calling on the UK to fulfill its “moral duty” to “prevent genocide” in Gaza. “I fully expect my MP to intervene on my behalf and to support civilian efforts to break the siege on Gaza.
I expect full diplomatic and state efforts to to lift this genocidal siege on Gaza,” Jasiewicz said. VI sailor made last FB post on Sept 30 Meanwhile, Hunter, who said he has Palestinian friends in the Caribbean and New York, and that his decision to join the flotilla was deeply personal, has not updated his Facebook page since 6:25 PM on Tuesday, September 30. “We're approaching the critical zone.
Comms are on the fritz, internet will likely go next. Keep your eyes on the flotilla, and most importantly, on Gaza,” Hunter last wrote. According to Sky News, Israel didn't comment, but has said it will use any means to stop the boats getting to Gaza. Protests erupted around the world after Israel's interception of the flotilla.
People took to the streets in solidarity with the flotilla in countries including Italy, Spain, Colombia and Argentina. Gaza has been dealing with severe food shortages due to the ongoing war. Israel put in a sea blockade when Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, and there have been several attempts to break it since then.
Primary source: VINO