Gaza Flotilla mission: Did alleged Hamas operative plan Greta Thunberg’s failed voyage? Report claims Zaher Birawi was key organiser

A British-Palestinian journalist long accused of having ties to Hamas reportedly played a leading role in launching the aid ship that carried climate activist Greta Thunberg and others, before it was intercepted by Israeli forces.According to a report in The Telegraph, Zaher Birawi was involved in the high-profile launch of the Madleen, a vessel aimed at challenging Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. The ship set sail on June 1 under the banner of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, carrying 12 international activists, including Thunberg.Birawi is the head of the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza and a founding member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

He was present at Madleen’s departure and praised those aboard for their courage in attempting to deliver aid to Palestinian civilians. The mission included supplies such as baby formula and staple food items like rice.The Israeli military detained the ship in what Birawi described as “a piracy operation in international waters and 150 nautical miles from Palestinian waters.” He added, “The Freedom Flag Alliance demands international intervention to ensure their safety and release.”

Although Birawi has denied any involvement in terrorist activities, he has been the subject of long-standing allegations. In 2013, Israel labelled him a Hamas operative based in Europe. His non-profit, EuroPal Forum, which supports Palestinian rights, was designated a terrorist organisation by Israeli authorities in 2021.A 2012 photograph of Birawi attending an event alongside Ismail Haniyeh, the former Hamas political chief, has often been cited as evidence of his alleged links.

However, Birawi has consistently maintained his innocence. “My legal team relied primarily on the fact that there has never been any legal sentence passed against me by any official authority in any state anywhere in the world, and that never have I been found to have been involved in any illegal acts which could be deemed within the scope of terrorism crimes,” he said after winning compensation from NatWest for allegedly listing him on a terrorism database.More recently, Labour MP Christian Wakeford used parliamentary privilege to label Birawi “a serious national security risk” and accused him of acquiring British citizenship “through the use of fake documents” following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Birawi dismissed the accusations as “baseless.”Neither the United Kingdom nor the United States, which both list Hamas as a terrorist organisation, has taken legal action against Birawi.

The EuroPal Forum has also rejected claims of terrorist connections, arguing that it is being unfairly targeted for its advocacy work.Birawi has remained a vocal critic of Israeli policies in Gaza and has led numerous demonstrations in London. He also condemned the Israeli Defence Forces for their seizure of the Madleen and continued to call for international pressure to end the blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has been in place since Hamas took control in 2007.