Global Female Activists Risk Lives to Break Gaza Blockade
Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 was relaunched in early May 2026 as part of an international humanitarian mission to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza, Palestine. At least 430 activists from 45 countries participated in the voyage, including medical personnel and female activists.
Here are some female activists from various countries involved in the GSF mission:
- Margaret Connolly
Activist Margaret Connolly, sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly, took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) humanitarian mission to breach the Gaza blockade. She boarded a ship intercepted by Israeli military forces in international waters on Monday, 18 May 2026.
After surviving the ordeal, Margaret recounted that the activists sailed to deliver food, fuel, and medical aid. “We are peaceful. There are no weapons on board at all. All I have is a jacket and sweater,” she told Irish Central on 25 May 2026.
Margaret described three days of detention by Israel as brutal, cruel, and violent. The 67-year-old said she had never witnessed such harsh military control. She reported 35 broken bones, five head injuries, and 16 cases of sexual assault among the activists, along with ear, eye injuries, and burns from Tasers on the back and genitals. “We were not given any painkillers for injuries. Even essential medicines for diabetes, hypertension, and asthma were confiscated,” she said. She called for a safer, more humane world and affirmed that Palestinians have the right to their land.
- Bao Ngoc “Ashley”
Humanitarian activist Ashley, the sole GSF participant from Vietnam, sailed to Gaza aboard the Barbaros, only to be intercepted and abducted by Israeli forces in international waters.
She stated two main reasons for joining the mission: as a Vietnamese person, she felt the same suffering as Palestinians due to Western imperialist war crimes, particularly by the US. Second, she viewed GSF as an effective strategy to halt attacks on Gaza and end Israel’s genocide there. “I feel extreme and profound empathy for Palestinians and what they have endured at the hands of Zionists,” she said.