‘We will not forget’: Last words from the Marinette
Just before Israeli soldiers boarded the Marinette on Friday to take control of the last flotilla vessel they hadn’t seized until then, crew members on the aid boat chanted about Gaza.
“From the sea to Gaza – we will not forget you,” went the words, recorded in a video shared by Middle East Eye.
“From the sea to Gaza - we will not forget you. We will not let you be forgotten. This is the voice of humanity.”
These were the last words recorded from the Marinette, the last active boat of the Global Sumud Flotilla, before Israeli forces intercepted them on Friday.
With… pic.twitter.com/nZfaG2Vrzd
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 3, 2025
Notable activists detained in Israel include Greta Thunberg, Mandla Mandela, and Chris Smalls.
The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency has compiled a list of some of the notable flotilla activists currently in Israeli detention.
Israel is thought to have detained more than 500 activists, who it is accused of having intercepted illegally as they were attempting to bring aid to the besieged enclave of Gaza.
Among them, the agency notes, are:
Greta Thunberg
The Swedish climate activist, widely known for her global climate advocacy, has also participated in multiple Gaza aid flotillas, including the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Nkosi Zwelivelile “Mandla” Mandela
A South African activist and former legislator, Mandela is the grandson of the iconic anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela.
Ada Colau
Spanish politician and activist Colau served as mayor of Barcelona from 2015 until 2023.
Juan Bordera
Bordera, a Spanish screenwriter, journalist and writer, is also an elected representative from Spain’s Compromís Coalition.
Pilar Castillejo
Castillejo serves as a member of Catalonia’s regional parliament in Spain.
Rima Hassan
A human rights advocate and member of France Unbowed, Hassan also represents her party in the European Parliament.
Maria Celeste Fierro
Fierro is an Argentinian politician and activist.
Mariana Mortagua
An economist and parliamentarian, Mortagua sits in Portugal’s national legislature.
Emma Fourreau
Fourreau, affiliated with France Unbowed, combines her work in climate activism with a seat in the European Parliament.
Chris Andrews
An Irish Sinn Fein politician, Andrews has served as a senator representing the Labour Panel since January.
Thiago Avila
Avila, a Brazilian human rights activist and member of the flotilla’s steering committee, has previously taken part in Gaza aid missions and was detained by Israeli authorities.
Tadhg Hickey
Hickey is an Irish comedian, writer, filmmaker, and human rights campaigner.
Chris Smalls
An American labour organiser and human rights advocate, Smalls is known for his activism within the labour movement.
Kleoniki Alexopoulou
Alexopoulou, a historian from Greece, is part of the flotilla’s steering committee.
Luizianne Lins
Lins, a journalist and politician, formerly served as mayor of Fortaleza, Brazil’s fourth-largest city.
Arturo Scotto
Scotto is a legislator in Italy’s Chamber of Deputies.
Mushtaq Ahmed
A Pakistani politician, Ahmed previously served as a senator.
Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri
Al-Nuri, a Malaysian humanitarian activist, has coordinated multiple aid missions to Gaza.
Four deported flotilla participants are Italian parliamentarians
The Italian government has identified the four flotilla participants who have so far been deported by Israel as Italian parliamentarians.
“The four parliamentarians, with whom I spoke with this morning, are leaving Ben Gurion Airport,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said earlier today. “They are accompanied by a diplomat from our embassy in Tel Aviv.”
The four parliamentarians are Senator Marco Croatti, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Annalisa Corrado, MEP Arturo Scotto, and MEP Benedetta Scuderi.
Mikeno, the one flotilla boat that made it to Gaza’s waters
Israel has intercepted and captured all 44 of the vessels of the Gaza Sumud Flotilla, an aid campaign aiming to break the naval blockade of the Palestinian territory devastated by Israel’s war and starvation.
But one – the only one – of the flotilla’s boats did manage to reach Gaza’s waters, according to a tracker maintained by the organisers: The Mikeno.
According to the tracker, the Mikeno reached well within the 12 nautical miles (equivalent to 22km) off Gaza’s coast that constitute the maritime territory of a nation. Gaza, of course, has been under an Israeli blockade for 18 years, and Israeli ships control the region’s waters – illegally.
The Mikeno was intercepted on Thursday, October 2, at 11:21am (8:21 GMT), when Israeli troops attacked it with a water cannon, video shared by activists on board suggests.
The boat had previously lost its signal, raising concerns about its whereabouts, before it returned on the tracker, within Gaza’s territorial waters.
