GPCI: Global Sumud Flotilla Humanitarian Mission Is Not a Political Action
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI) has affirmed that the humanitarian action of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) is not a political movement.
GPCI Advisory Board member Muhammad Husein stated that the voyage to breach the Gaza blockade will always be a civilian movement by volunteers and humanitarian activists from around the world. They adhere to principles of non-violence as the foundation of their struggle to support the end of the occupation and genocide against the Palestinian people.
Husein assured that GPCI’s ongoing participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla mission does not rely on funding from political groups. “The Global Sumud Flotilla movement is non-political. No politicians are driving it. This is a civilian movement, a movement for the common good, and not for personal interests. The funding comes from collective contributions by civilians,” said Husein at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Wednesday (8 April 2026).
Husein, who is the CEO of International Networking for Humanitarian (INH), is one of Indonesia’s largest philanthropies joining GPCI. There are around 30 philanthropies from Indonesia that have joined GPCI. They are the ones who consistently accompany the humanitarian voyages of the Global Sumud Flotilla to breach the Gaza blockade.
GPCI has been gradually sending its volunteers since Monday (6 April 2026), such as Wanda Hamidah. Husein himself rejoined this year’s Global Sumud Flotilla mission in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday (8 April 2026). He departed for Barcelona with five other GPCI volunteers: Maimon Herawati (Coordinator of the GPCI Advisory Board and Director of Smart 171), as well as Fawzy, Shafawi, Adhin, and Gandi (influencers).
The Global Sumud Flotilla voyage via Barcelona is scheduled for Sunday (12 April 2026). This will be followed by voyages from Italy and Greece in mid-month, and from Turkey on 2 May 2026.
GPCI Advisory Board Coordinator Maimon explained that this year’s Global Sumud Flotilla is not only taking the Mediterranean Sea route to breach the Gaza blockade but also a land route for a convoy through Libya to Egypt to breach the Gaza blockade.
Nevertheless, the mission of these two routes remains the same: to open a humanitarian aid corridor for the Palestinian people in Gaza. To date, Gaza remains blockaded and targeted for destruction by Zionist Israel. “This year’s Global Sumud Flotilla is the largest civilian action for Palestine,” she stated.
According to Maimon, there are six Palestinian activist groups from around the world joining. Starting with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madleen, which have already sailed from Marseille, France, since 4 April. In addition, there are Sumud Nusantara and Sumud Magribi, as well as the Peoples Flotilla Movement.
“It is estimated that more than a thousand volunteers and activists from around 100 countries will participate in the humanitarian convoy via sea and land. From the Mediterranean Sea route, it is estimated there will be more than 100 humanitarian vessels, including a Greenpeace ship that will sail,” explained Maimon.
According to Maimon, these humanitarian ships are also carrying doctors and medical teams. This includes development experts bringing medicines, food, clean water, baby and women’s needs, as well as equipment to help Gaza residents.
Maimon said that from Indonesia, around 150 people are registered as volunteers to participate in the Global Sumud Flotilla mission. However, only around 30 to 50 volunteers and activists will join, although not all will take part in the voyage to breach the Gaza blockade.
Request for Indonesian Support
GPCI hopes for support from the government for the participation of Indonesian citizens in every Global Sumud Flotilla mission. According to Maimon, government support is important as a form of protection for Indonesian citizens participating in the sea voyage and land convoy missions to breach the Gaza blockade.
“We have written to President Prabowo (Subianto), to the foreign minister and deputy foreign minister, to always provide support and protection for Indonesian citizens participating in this Global Sumud Flotilla,” said Maimon.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Husein hopes that the GPCI movement receives support from the public. “We invite the Indonesian people to pray for us, to speak out, to protect us through prayers and voices, narratives of solidarity, to support this Global Sumud Flotilla mission,” said Husein.
The Global Sumud Flotilla voyage mission, according to Husein, remains a dangerous humanitarian action. This is because they will directly confront the security forces of the occupying Zionist Israel at sea. Therefore, Husein also hopes that the Indonesian government will always provide support and protection.
“The Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission is not easy and is considered dangerous. So we also ask the government to always provide advocacy for us, to give support and protection to us as citizens taking part in this humanitarian mission,” said Husein.