A pair of documents seized from Gaza has revealed that the “key assets” of the latest Gaza flotilla mission has “owned and controlled by Hamas”, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has claimed.
The first document, a 2021 letter from then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, gives the group’s endorsement to the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), which Israel has alleged acts as Hamas’ representatives abroad. Indeed, Israel designated the PCPA as a terrorist group in its own right in 2021.
The other document is a list of alleged PCPA activists, including activist Zaher Birawi, who has led the flotilla movement for the past 15 years and chairs the Europal Forum, a pro-Palestine lobbying group.
Birawi, a journalist based in London, has previously faced allegations of being linked to Hamas and was described as a “senior Hamas operative” by Labour MP Christian Wakeford during a parliamentary debate in 2023.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry claimed: “This confirms that key assets of the flotilla are effectively owned and controlled by Hamas.
"They clarify the chain of command and financial support behind these operations, which have long been presented under civilian pretence.
"These documents expose the depth of Hamas’ international network and its operational control over individuals leading the flotilla.”
The latest flotilla, made up of around 50 vessels, is set to hit the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza in the coming days.
As with previous voyages, it is expected that the ships will be intercepted and redirected to an Israeli port, with crew members deported back to their countries of origin.
During the latest attempt to breach the blockade, flotilla organisers have claimed that ships have been attacked by drones while their radios were jammed by ABBA music off the coast of Greece.
They also claimed that two boats were hit by drone strikes near Tunisia, though this was denied by the country’s government, which also released footage purporting to show a fire on board resulting from a misfired flare.
The JC has contacted Birawi, the PCPA and the Europal Forum for comment.
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