Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
18 September 2025 | 12:23 CAT

📸 Journalist Yusuf Omar announces his departure from the Sumud Flotilla, sharing the difficult decision and the risks faced on the mission to break Gaza’s blockade.

The Gaza aid flotilla has once again set sail, facing drone attacks, broken boats and political pressure in its effort to break Israel’s blockade. Journalist Yusuf Omar, who was aboard the family boat when it came under attack, has since stepped away from the mission following a shift in media strategy.

Speaking to Radio Islam International on his experience, Omar explained his motivation: “The overall mission of this flotilla is to break the siege of Gaza. As you know, Israel is deliberately starving over 2 million people. This is the 38th mission, and most people don’t realize that five flotillas in history have actually been successful in reaching Gaza.”

Omar, who was live-streaming aboard the family boat when it came under a suspected drone strike, described the flotilla as both “inspiring and deeply challenging.” He explained that his decision to join came after exhausting other avenues of advocacy: “We have protested on the streets, we’ve used our platforms to make noise. This flotilla was the most direct action left.

Omar recalled the atmosphere on board as both inspiring and challenging: “A group of unpaid volunteers, a grassroots movement, is able to mobilize dozens of vessels and people from 44 different countries. But it’s tough – old vessels, rough seas, limited resources and of course facing superpowers with incredibly sophisticated weaponry.”

Omar’s departure came after organisers raised concerns that media focus on his vessel and on him personally risked overshadowing the broader humanitarian crisis. “While visibility is important, it was feared that the attention on us was detracting from the actual genocide taking place in Gaza,” Omar explained. The decision left him visibly heartbroken, saying farewell to comrades he had shared cramped cabins and stormy seas with, moments he described as some of the most difficult of his life.

Looking ahead, Omar outlined the risks facing the flotilla: interception by Israeli naval forces, direct attacks such as drone strikes, or the most hopeful scenario, successfully reaching Gaza. “All three scenarios carry incredible risks,” he stressed, highlighting the increasingly dangerous sea conditions as the sailing season draws to a close.

Despite the challenges, Omar insists there is reason for hope. “I am so excited about Palestine right now, even amidst the most violent stage of a genocide. This global solidarity is a mirror of the anti-apartheid struggle of the 80s and 90s,” he reflected.

But solidarity, he argued, is not enough. Omar issued a sharp call for governments and individuals to act: “People must stop supporting products linked to Israel. And governments must end complicity. Even South Africa, despite taking Israel to the ICJ for genocide continues to sell coal, a lifeline for Israel’s power grid. That must end.”

As the flotilla faces uncertain waters, Omar’s message underscores a broader call: global solidarity must translate into decisive action to isolate Israel economically and politically.

Listen to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Journalist Yusuf Omar.