Forty-five international activists, recently detained by Israeli forces aboard vessels of the Freedom Flotilla, arrived in Jordan on Sunday, October 12, 2025, after days spent in Israeli prisons. Their release and transfer via the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan marked a dramatic chapter in the ongoing saga of international attempts to break the blockade on Gaza. According to Anadolu, the activists hailed from a diverse list of countries including Tunisia, Spain, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Finland, the United States, and Canada. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the operation was coordinated with several embassies to facilitate the activists’ safe return to their respective home countries.
The activists’ ordeal began on Wednesday, October 8, when Israeli naval forces intercepted a nine-boat convoy organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). The group, numbering around 150 participants, was en route to Gaza in an effort to challenge what they describe as Israel’s “illegal blockade” of the enclave. According to Anadolu, Israeli authorities detained all those aboard, continuing a pattern seen in previous years where Gaza-bound humanitarian ships are stopped, their cargo seized, and activists deported.
This latest incident unfolded against the backdrop of an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of more than 67,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Anadolu. The scale of destruction has rendered much of the enclave uninhabitable, fueling international calls for relief and an end to hostilities. In a significant development, a ceasefire agreement was announced on Thursday, October 9, 2025, aiming to end two years of war in the region.
While the plight of the activists and the suffering in Gaza have dominated headlines, misinformation has also spread rapidly across social media. On October 1, 2025, a Facebook user named Shabbir Ansar posted a viral video purporting to show over 50 boats from 44 countries heading to Gaza to “break the siege.” The post, which quickly gained traction, claimed that this was the largest civilian flotilla in modern history. However, a comprehensive fact-check by Vishvas News on October 13 debunked this narrative.
The investigation by Vishvas News revealed that the viral video was not related to Gaza at all. Instead, it depicted a jubilant celebration by Galatasaray football fans in Türkiye. The footage, originally uploaded to TikTok and Instagram in late May 2025, showed hundreds of boats parading across the Bosphorus in Istanbul, marking Galatasaray’s 25th championship title in the 2023-24 Super League. Reports from Turkish news outlets such as Meyralem and Daily Sabah, as well as international sources like OneFootball.com, confirmed the context of the event. The official X (formerly Twitter) handle of Galatasaray also posted clips of the same celebration, further corroborating the true origin of the video.
“While there have been several championship celebrations across Europe in recent weeks, the one in Istanbul today from Galatasaray and its fans was the most spectacular. The team’s yacht crossed the Bosphorus accompanied by hundreds of boats, all celebrating together in unison,” OneFootball.com reported on May 25, 2025. The misidentified video was thus a case of mistaken identity—one that highlights the ease with which misinformation can spread online, especially in times of crisis.
Although the viral video was unrelated, there was a real flotilla mission underway. Multiple news organizations, including CNN, Reuters, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera English, reported on the Global Sumud Flotilla—a separate initiative involving over 40 civilian ships and nearly 500 participants. This flotilla, comprising parliamentarians, lawyers, and human rights activists from various countries, set sail to deliver medicine and food supplies to Gaza. According to a CNN report from October 2, 2025, as of 9:15 AM local time that Thursday, 23 Global Sumud Flotilla ships were still on their journey, while 21 had been stopped by Israeli forces. Organizers of the flotilla described these interceptions as an “illegal attack” on humanitarianism, while Israeli officials accused the activists of seeking provocation rather than providing aid.
Reuters added that on Thursday, October 2, Israeli forces stopped 14 ships headed for Gaza, which were carrying foreign activists and aid supplies. Despite this, the flotilla’s tracking system showed that 23 ships continued advancing toward the Palestinian enclave. The Guardian further reported that the Israeli navy had stopped 13 ships in the aid flotilla that day, carrying about 200 people from countries such as Spain and Italy, while dozens of other ships pressed on toward Gaza’s coast.
In a notable development, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was among those aboard one of the convoy ships and was detained, as reported by Al Jazeera English on October 1, 2025. Her participation drew additional international attention to the flotilla’s humanitarian aims and the risks faced by those challenging the blockade.
The fact-check by Vishvas News concluded unequivocally: “The viral claim is false. The video shows a celebration by football fans in Türkiye. Furthermore, according to news reports, the Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising over 40 civilian ships carrying nearly 500 parliamentarians, lawyers, and human rights activists, has departed to deliver medicines and food supplies to Gaza. However, many of these ships have been intercepted by Israel.” Senior journalist Saurabh Shahi, who has covered the Gaza-Israel conflict extensively, confirmed that citizens from several countries have indeed attempted to deliver relief supplies to Gaza by boat, but many have been intercepted before reaching their destination.
As the dust settles on both the real and misrepresented events, the activists’ return to Jordan stands as a testament to the persistent efforts of international civil society to challenge the blockade and deliver aid to Gaza. At the same time, the rapid spread—and subsequent debunking—of the viral video serves as a warning about the importance of verifying information in an age where social media can amplify both truth and error with equal speed.
As the ceasefire takes hold and the world turns its attention to Gaza’s future, the intertwined stories of activism, misinformation, and humanitarian need remain at the forefront. The activists’ journey, and the broader flotilla movement, continue to highlight the complexities and passions that define the ongoing struggle over Gaza’s fate.