"This week, Staten Islander Leila Hegazy, a musician and teacher, is aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian-led, 1000 person strong, 50 vessels from 40 countries, humanitarian mission carrying food and medicine to Gaza. Her decision wasn't taken lightly. She did it because people are starving, hospitals are collapsing. And governments, including our own, have failed to act. On September 25, 2025, this mission came under direct assault as flotilla ships off the coast of Tunis were swarmed by 15 suspected Israeli drones."
"At least 13 explosions shook the vessels, communications were cut, and volunteers braced for chemical deployment. On the ship Alma, participants rushed from their bunks into the eerie orange night sky, strapping on life vests as "shadowy objects" fell overhead. This was not a warning. It was an escalation against unarmed civilians delivering aid. Meanwhile, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to brand these volunteers as "terrorists" and deny them basic rights if detained."
"Just six weeks ago, Chris Smalls, a Staten Islander and labor leader, was beaten and detained during a previous flotilla attempt. He was among the last to be released, while the United States was the only country that failed to intervene. That silence set the stage for what is happening now. And now it is Leila in danger. And once again, the silence from our leaders could be deadly."
Leila Hegazy, a Staten Island musician and teacher, is aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian-led humanitarian mission of 1,000 people across 50 vessels from 40 countries carrying food and medicine to Gaza. On September 25, 2025, flotilla ships off the coast of Tunis were swarmed by 15 suspected Israeli drones, causing at least 13 explosions, cutting communications, and prompting volunteers to brace for chemical deployment. On the ship Alma, participants donned life vests as "shadowy objects" fell overhead. Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to label volunteers "terrorists." Six weeks earlier Chris Smalls was beaten and detained while the United States did not intervene. Local officials are urged to demand safe passage, international protection for Americans on humanitarian missions, and immediate action.
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