In August 2025, following nearly two years of genocide perpetrated by Israel, several humanitarian flotillas set sail for Gaza in an attempt to break the illegal blockade. These widely supported international civil initiatives operate under the banners of the Global Sumud Flotilla, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and the Thousand Madleens to Gaza.

The Belgian-Moroccan journalist Yassin Akouh joins the international press, which is taking part in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, on the ship Conscience. Palestinians are entitled not only to humanitarian aid, but also to the presence of international journalists. Since October 2023, more than 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed by the Israeli army, making this the deadliest conflict for the press in history.

In this personal and poignant book, Akouh describes the obstacles, the unexpected twists and the convictions that drive him on this journey. At the same time, he places his experiences within a broader historical and social context, and sheds a sharp light on the political and moral questions that the ongoing oppression of Palestine continues to raise.

The book Ontvoerd door Isreaël will be published on 8 May 2026 by Houtekiet Publishers.

During the book launch on 11 May at De Roma, presenter Samira Azabar will talk with the author and various international and Belgian organisers and support staff of these flotillas: Mahmoud Hassouna, originally from Gaza and now living in the Netherlands, and Karolina Martins from the Belgian branch of the Global Sumud Flotilla, who are currently preparing a new flotilla set to set sail this spring.

Yassin Akouh is a researcher and journalist working for Belgian and international media. His work focuses primarily on Morocco, social movements and geopolitical issues. His first book, Koloniale Vloek (2025), examines the historical and contemporary relations between the Rif and the Moroccan state.