![People, holding Palestinian flags, gather at the Port of Tripoli to show their supports as the "Omar al-Mukhtar" ship, which will join the Global Sumud Flotilla from Libya, prepares to leave in Tripoli, Libya on September 16, 2025. [Muhammed Semiz - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AA-20250916-39134748-39134742-THE_OMAR_ALMUKHTAR_SHIP_DEPARTS_FROM_LIBYA_TO_JOIN_THE_GLOBAL_SUMUD_FLOTILLA.jpg)
The Global Sumud Flotilla on Tuesday rejected Israel’s demand that its vessels dock in Ashkelon to transfer humanitarian aid to Gaza, describing the request as part of Tel Aviv’s long-standing blockade of the Palestinian enclave, Anadolu reports. Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Monday warned that flotilla ships would not be allowed to enter what it called an “active combat zone” and accused the Palestinian resistance group Hamas of organizing the mission. It said aid could instead be unloaded at Ashkelon Port in southern Israel and transferred to Gaza “quickly and in a coordinated manner.” In a statement, flotilla organizers dismissed the Israeli proposal, stressing that it is not a neutral logistical request but a tactic to obstruct relief and delegitimize those […]
