Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered the release of three members of the Egyptian Sumud flotilla on Monday, ending two weeks of detention. Each was freed on bail of 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($21) under case No. 7478/2025, flotilla spokesperson Hossam Mahmoud told Al Manassa.
Security forces had detained the three young activists, members of the flotilla’s preparatory committee, outside its Cairo headquarters in late September, shortly after a demonstration supporting Gaza. The protest came after an organized event where volunteers packaged aid and contributions collected nationwide in the flotilla’s main office in Dokki.
The activists were released from Dokki police station on Monday evening, just one day after the flotilla transferred the collected aid to the Egyptian Red Crescent in Ismailia by bus, Mahmoud explained to Al Manassa.
Negotiations between political figures, party leaders, and security agencies led to the activists’ release, which was conditioned on handing the aid over to the Red Crescent, instead of attempting a direct delivery to Rafah, flotilla logistics coordinator Ahmad Maher told Al Manassa.
“The flotilla handed over about six tons of food, medical supplies, and essential equipment to the Red Crescent for entry into Gaza,” Maher added.
He confirmed that the Egyptian flotilla’s operations have now concluded. “We had a project, but it did not succeed due to national security restrictions. We failed to obtain authorization to send ships as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza,” Maher said. “There were concerns that our participation might provoke diplomatic friction between Egypt and Israel.”
“Our mission as a flotilla has ended, but the wave of popular solidarity we witnessed has inspired us to consult with political movements and parties on transforming the flotilla into a broader initiative that continues to advocate for Palestine,” said Mahmoud, echoing Maher’s view.
The Egyptian Sumud flotilla’s steering committee had announced on Sept. 6 its readiness to prepare ships with logistical and material donations, inviting captains, crews, and volunteers to join. Fifty-five Egyptian activists signed a statement describing participation in the flotilla as a ‘national and moral duty’ in solidarity with Palestinians.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which had set sail first from Barcelona in early September, was intercepted by Israeli occupation forces, who detained and deported all participants, after several assaults during the journey.
In a related development Monday evening, US President Donald Trump signed a Middle East peace accord with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. The ceremony was also attended by 35 world leaders and international organizations, excluding Hamas. Trump had earlier decreed the war “over.”
