FM Sa'ar Exposes Ties Between Hamas and Global Sumud Flotilla at US Summit on Political Terrorism

Sa’ar outlined connections between radical left-wing political movements in the West and Islamist terrorist organizations, stating that the partnership threatens the principles of freedom and democracy.

Tiago Avila, a Brazilian citizen and leading pro-Palestinian activist, next to Greta Thunberg, in front of the Global Sumud Flotilla in June 2025. In the top photo, he is seen paying his last respects at the funeral of Hezbollah Secretary General and terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah.

(photo credit: FOREIGN MINISTRY)

ByGOLDIE KATZ

JULY 18, 2026 05:49

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar disclosed connections between Global Sumud Flotilla activists and Hamas during a conference on the growth of political terrorism, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Thursday.

Sa’ar outlined the connections between extreme left-wing political groups in Western countries and Islamist terror groups, claiming that this partnership represents a genuine threat to democratic values and liberty.

He pointed to the Global Sumud Flotilla as a clear case of how terrorist organizations operate behind leftist activist fronts.

The flotilla sought to challenge Israel’s lawful naval blockade on the Gaza Strip several times while claiming to deliver humanitarian aid, yet, according to Sa’ar, carried no aid supplies.

Sa’ar stated that the flotilla actually worked to advance the goals of terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas in Gaza.

“Hamas documents seized by the IDF show financing, operational involvement, and hidden ownership of the vessels through a Spanish shell company,” he told fellow foreign ministers at the conference.

He noted that the group behind the flotilla’s voyages operated via a network linked to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, “thus providing legitimacy and civilian cover to terrorist organizations and their objectives.”

He charged such groups with “whitewashing of terrorism and its objectives” by enlisting left-wing activists to draw participants, activate student networks, and generate public pressure.

Western media outlets, such as the BBC and The New York Times, have been drawn into the approach of using activists to grant legitimacy to terror-backed movements, Sa’ar said.

Sa'ar Highlights Hamas, Hezbollah-Linked Flotilla Activists

Sa’ar specifically noted two flotilla activists, Zaher Birawi and Tiago Avila, due to their connections with designated terrorist organizations.

According to a 2021 document signed by former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran in 2024, Birawi serves as a key Hamas operative who helped organize flotillas for more than 15 years and leads Hamas’s European wing. The document, Sa’ar explained, was recovered from Hamas’s terror tunnels under Gaza.

Sa’ar also presented a photo of Avila, a Brazilian citizen and leading pro-Palestinian activist, at the funeral of Hezbollah Secretary General and terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah.

“The evidence is clear,” Sa’ar asserted. “We have documented direct links between the flotilla’s organizers and terrorist organizations, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Senior Hamas activists are directing these campaigns from Britain and other Western capitals.”