This guide is aimed at family members and loved ones of British nationals participating in a flotilla to Gaza. It specifically relates to British nationals and does not constitute legal advice.

Download a PDF of this guide here:

Flotillas to Gaza A Legal & Practical Guide to Supporting and Advocating for British NationalsDownload

Background

Civilian flotillas to Gaza are non-governmental, civilian-led missions intended to deliver humanitarian aid – including medical and food supplies – to the Gaza Strip, and to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Participants have included civilians, medics, and journalists.

Israel has a well documented history of intercepting flotillas. Based on the experience of the Global Sumud and Thousand Madleens To Gaza Flotillas (intercepted in October 2025), participants are typically transferred to Ashdod Port, subjected to deportation hearings, and then transferred to Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert. This process often happens very quickly and without warning to lawyers or family members.

This guide sets out practical steps you can take to request appropriate support from the UK government – specifically the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)– before and during your loved one's journey. Based on our experience, the FCDO is more likely to engage directly with family members than with legal representatives, so your contact is important and can make a real difference.

The flotilla organisers will also provide participants with further practical information about what to expect upon interception – including the documents they are likely to be shown on arrival, how to access legal assistance locally, and other steps to take at that stage. This guide focuses specifically on what family members in the UK can do from home.

If, after interception, you have serious concerns about your loved one's welfare and have not received adequate support from the FCDO, the final section explains when and how to involve a solicitor.

Your loved one's rights

British nationals are entitled to consular support from the FCDO. This includes:

• The British embassy or consulate contacting your loved one as soon as possible after being notified of their detention, with a first contact within 24 hours
• Regular visits to check on their welfare
• Help accessing medical treatment
• Raising complaints about ill-treatment with local authorities

The FCDO has particular obligations where there are concerns about torture or mistreatment – including visiting more frequently, assisting with medical access, and pressing local authorities for an investigation.

Suggested steps: contacting the FCDO

Step 1 – Before the flotilla sets sail

Email: fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk Copy in: your loved one's local MP (you can find your MP at writetothem.com)

Your email should cover the following:

About your loved one

• Their name, nationality, and role on the boat (e.g. civilian, medic)
• The name of the vessel they are sailing on
• Any medical conditions or special needs, including specific medications they require

The risks

• Israel has a well documented history of intercepting flotillas using force. Since 2008, vessels have been rammed, boarded, and seized. In 2010, ten activists were killed when Israeli forces boarded the Mavi Marmara. More recently, in September 2025, drone attacks were carried out against flotilla vessels in international waters.
• During the Global Sumud Flotilla interceptions of 1-3 October 2025, participants were forced to kneel with hands zip-tied for hours, denied water, food, bathroom access and medications, subjected to deportation hearings without legal representation, and held in conditions described as degrading. Medications were withheld at Ketziot Prison even from participants with serious medical conditions.
• If your loved one has a medical condition, explain the specific risks that denial of medication would pose to them.

What to request

Ask the FCDO to:

• Contact Israeli authorities to confirm that the flotilla is on a humanitarian mission and must be allowed to reach Gaza safely
• Make clear that any attack on, or interception of, the flotilla would be unlawful and of serious concern given the presence of British nationals
• Ensure plans are in place for medical, legal, and consular support in the event of interception
• Monitor the flotilla in real time and provide you with updates and emergency guidance if needed
• Confirm what preventative action they are taking and what contingency plans are in place

Ask for a response within 48 hours.

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Step 2 – Follow up by phone

The FCDO can be contacted on: +44 (0)1908 515789

They may set up a dedicated line for family members of flotilla participants – ask when you call.

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Step 3 – Upon interception

Email again: fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk (copy in your MP)

As soon as you hear that the vessel has been intercepted, send a further email. Refer back to your earlier correspondence and include:

• The name of your loved one and the vessel they were on
• The time and circumstances of interception (if you know these)
• Your loved one's medical conditions and the medications they require daily
• The documented pattern of mistreatment at Ketziot Prison (see ‘Background’ above) and your concern that your loved one will face the same
• A request for immediate consular contact with your loved one – the FCDO's own guidance requires first contact within 24 hours of notification of detention
• A request that the FCDO confirm your loved one has access to their medications
• A request that the FCDO contact you with updates

Ask for acknowledgment within 24 hours and a substantive response within 48 hours. Let them know you will refer the matter to a solicitor if you do not hear back within that timeframe.

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Step 4 – Refer to a solicitor if needed

If, following interception, you have serious concerns about your loved one's welfare and have not received an adequate response from the FCDO, you can refer the matter to a solicitor who may be able to bring an urgent legal challenge. You can contact PILC at office@pilc.org.uk, or find a solicitor specialising in judicial review and human rights law using the Law Society’s ‘Find a Solicitor’ advanced search tool: https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/?Pro=True.  

To help a solicitor act quickly, keep together:

• All correspondence with the FCDO
• Any information about your loved one's welfare or last known contact
• Details of their medical conditions, medications and any other vulnerabilities
• The name of the vessel and any last known location

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Helpful resources

• Global Sumud Flotilla (flotilla tracker and updates): https://globalsumudflotilla.org/
• Thousand Madleens To Gaza: https://thousandmadleens.org/
• The Freedom Flotilla Coalition: https://freedomflotilla.org/
• Adalah (legal centre providing support to flotilla participants in Israel) – WhatsApp Updates group: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb6ReXG8PgsLxkVY643j
• Find your MP: https://www.writetothem.com
• FCDO guidance on consular support abroad: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/who-the-fcdo-can-support-abroad
• FCDO guidance on detention abroad: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/arrested-or-detained-abroad

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This guide was produced based on experience representing British nationals who sailed on the Thousand Madleens to Gaza flotilla in September-October 2025. It does not constitute legal advice. If you have urgent concerns, please contact a solicitor.