A convoy of pro-Palestinian activists attempting to deliver aid to Gaza has fractured after disputes broke out between Muslim participants and LGBTQ+ campaigners on board.
Reports indicate that the clashes over ideology and identity have left the flotilla’s leadership in disarray, with several prominent figures resigning their roles.
According to the Daily Mail, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg stepped down from a leadership position due to disagreements among the flotilla organizers, though she has remained on board as a participant.
Thunberg, 22, has been involved in various protest movements but reportedly reduced her role after internal disputes erupted within the convoy.
The flotilla, made up of around 20 vessels carrying some 350 activists, began its journey on September 1 from Barcelona.
The ships displayed Palestinian flags and were loaded with supplies meant to be delivered to Gaza.
Two weeks later, the convoy docked in Tunisia to pick up additional participants and humanitarian goods before continuing its voyage.
The mission aims to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver aid directly to Palestinians.
However, political and ideological differences among the participants have overshadowed the effort.
In addition to reports of alleged drone activity targeting the boats, divisions have surfaced over the involvement of LGBTQ+ activists in the flotilla.
Khaled Boujemaa, the Tunisian coordinator for the convoy, publicly withdrew from the mission after learning that queer activists were participating.
Khaled Boujemaa, Tunisian coordinator of the Gaza Flotilla has abandoned the project in protest against the presence of queer activists and symbols, particularly singling out “queer African” activist Saif Ayadi. https://t.co/0VYUxWSAO9 pic.twitter.com/FBtpHKpzMu
— Róisín Michaux (@RoisinMichaux) September 22, 2025
“They lied to us about the identity of some of the participants on the front lines of the flotilla; I accuse the organizers of having kept this aspect hidden from us,” Boujemaa said.
His frustration reportedly centered on the involvement of Saif Ayadi, described as a “communist queer militant,” who joined the flotilla during its stop in Tunisia.
The controversy deepened when Mariem Meftah, another prominent activist with the flotilla, used social media to voice opposition to LGBTQ+ groups taking part in the mission.
Meftah argued that their presence undermined what she described as the Muslim community’s values.
“Everyone’s sexual orientation is a private matter… But being a ‘queer’ activist means touching on society’s values and taking a path that risks placing my children and loved ones in a situation we reject,” she wrote, according to a translation.
The fallout highlights the difficulties in uniting ideologically diverse groups under the same political banner.
The flotilla was intended to send a symbolic message against Israel’s restrictions on Gaza, but instead it has become embroiled in disputes among its own participants.
While the convoy remains at sea with its stated mission of delivering aid, the resignations and public disagreements have cast doubt on the ability of the movement to maintain cohesion.
