Episode 81: Kidnapped by the IDF – The Global Sumud Flotilla story

In this episode, we speak with Lorenzo D'Agostino, a journalist who took part the Global Sumud Flotilla's civilian-led mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.    He tells us about joining sailing from Barcelona towards Gaza, how its boats came under repeated drone attacks, and how the activists were eventually intercepted and kidnapped by the Israeli Navy.    Lorenzo tells us how, once in Israel, his captors treated them all like terrorists and subjected them to torture, before deporting them to Turkey. We also hear how most European governments totally failed to stand up for their citizens.    ---Get in touch---   Twitter: @FleetCivil   Mastodon: @[email protected]   Bluesky: @thecivilfleet.bsky.social   Instagram: thecivilfleet   [email protected]   civilfleet.com   Join me at the Manchester Anarchist Bookfair, see here: https://bookfair.org.uk   --- Show notes ---   For more on the Global Sumud Flotilla, see the group's website here: global-sumudflotilla.com   Follow Lorenzo D'Agostino on: Twitter: @lorenzodago Instagram: lo_dago  And on TikTok: lorenzodago   Check out his website here: lorenzodagostino.com   Check out episode 19 of The Civil Fleet Podcast for more from Lorenzo   Want to know what Lorenzo and I were doing in Trappani, Sicily, last January? Then check out episode 54.   For more on the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, see here: https://thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2025/07/29/american-workers-rights-activist-chris-smalls-beaten-by-israeli-soldiers/    Read this CBS report on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly approving the bombings of Family and Alma ship in Tunisia: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/netanyahu-drone-attacks-gaza-aid-boats-tunisia/   For more on Palestine Action, see here: https://thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2025/07/05/the-civil-fleet-podcast-stands-with-palestine-action/   Ben mentions the Libyan Coastguards firing on the Ocean Viking refugee rescue ship and the Italy navy failing to help. Check out episode 80 for more on that.    You can read a farcical (and now deleted) article on an Israeli government website claiming the Global Sumud Flotilla was organised by Hamas, here: https://web.archive.org/web/20251001154325/https://govextra.gov.il/mda/march-to-gaza/the-hidden-networks-behind-the-global-sumud-flotilla/    Ben mentions The World Transformed Festival. Read about that here: https://theworldtransformed.org/   You can read Lorenzo's article addressed to the Israeli people, here: https://x.com/lorenzodago/status/1973516145350287812    Read about Saleh al-Jafaraw, the latest (as of this recording) journalist killed by the Israeli military, here: https://www.middleeasteye.net/trending/tributes-pour-palestinian-journalist-killed-after-gaza-ceasefire