Captured documents reveal Hamas organized, funded Gaza flotilla

Gaza flotilla leaders are said to have had direct contact with Hamas.

Documents found in Gaza and released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday traced direct Hamas involvement in organizing and financing a “close-knit” flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade of the Strip.

“This confirms that key assets of the flotilla are effectively owned and controlled by Hamas,” the Foreign Ministry said. “They clarify the chain of command and financial support behind these operations, which have long been presented under civilian pretense.”

One document, a letter from 2021 signed by former Hamas political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh, explicitly endorses the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), an organization founded in 2018 and operating under civilian cover. Israel has designated the PCPA as a terror organization.

The ministry noted that the PCPA functions as Hamas’s representative abroad, often acting as the movement’s embassies while mobilizing anti-Israel demonstrations, violent protests, and other provocations. The group was designated a terrorist organization by Israel in 2021.

The second document contains a detailed list of PCPA activists, including senior Hamas figures directly involved in the flotilla operations. Among the names highlighted by the IDF is Zaher Birawi, the head of the PCPA’s Hamas sector in Britain, who has reportedly led Gaza-bound protest flotillas for more than 15 years.

Also listed is Saif Abu Kishk, a PCPA operative in Spain, who doubles as CEO of the Spanish cyber company Cyber Neptune, which owns multiple ships participating in the current Samud flotilla.

“Hamas in the Gaza Strip is responsible for activities within the Strip, while Hamas abroad manages operations outside, including mobilization and provocations,” the Foreign Ministry said. “These documents expose the depth of Hamas’ international network and its operational control over individuals leading the flotilla.”

The flotilla, comprising approximately 50 vessels, is currently being escorted by Italian and Spanish naval ships, with Greek media reporting that Turkish drones are monitoring its progress. Organizers say they intend to deliver aid directly to Gaza, rejecting Israel’s offer to transfer cargo through Ashkelon or via Cyprus. It remains unclear how the confrontation will unfold once the ships approach Israeli waters. Israel insists it will not permit direct access to Gaza’s coastline.

Flotilla expected to reach Israel soon

The flotilla is expected to reach Israeli waters in the coming days.

Most notable among the participants is Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was deported in June following a similar effort to break the Gaza blockade aboard one boat. Israeli officials dismissed that effort as a “selfie yacht.”

Israel and Egypt have maintained restrictions on Gaza to prevent weapons smuggling since Hamas seized control of the Strip in 2007. Since then, Palestinian activists have periodically launched flotillas to challenge the blockade. In 2011, an independent UN inquiry into the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident criticized Israeli forces for using excessive force but upheld the blockade’s legality.

Approximately 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 48 remaining hostages, about 20 are believed to be alive.