Singapore civil society groups back global flotilla campaign calling for end to Gaza siege
Three Singapore-based civil society groups — Monday of Palestine Solidarity (MPS), BDS Movement in Singapore (BDS SG), and Function 8 — have declared their support for the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international campaign demanding an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza and the recognition of Palestinian statehood. The statement comes amid escalating civilian casualties and renewed debate in Singapore over when to recognise Palestine.
- Singapore groups support global campaign urging action to end Gaza siege and uphold international law.
- The statement criticises global inaction and calls Israel’s actions “genocide” and a “threat to international order.”
- Former President Halimah Yacob and Minister K Shanmugam expressed contrasting views on Palestine recognition.
SINGAPORE — Three local civil society organisations have voiced solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla, a worldwide campaign demanding an end to Israel’s siege of Gaza and recognition of Palestinian statehood. In a joint statement issued on 7 September 2025, Monday of Palestine Solidarity (MPS), BDS Movement in Singapore (BDS SG), and Function 8 said the campaign calls for renewed global action to uphold international law and prevent what they described as the ongoing “genocide” in Gaza.
The Global Sumud Flotilla — named after the Arabic word sumud, meaning “steadfastness” — represents a decentralised movement by international groups and activists to draw attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The campaign emphasises civilian resistance and seeks coordinated global pressure for sanctions, accountability, and humanitarian intervention.
The Singapore groups’ statement accused Israel of operating as an “illegal settler colonial entity” and urged governments worldwide to impose full economic, diplomatic, and military isolation until the siege and occupation end. They also characterised the crisis as a test of global governance, warning that the erosion of international law threatens small nations like Singapore.
“The failure of a rules-based international order is a threat to the survival of Singapore,” the groups wrote. “It sends the wrong signal that rogue entities can disregard accepted rules of international engagement.”
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Gaza atrocities framed as a global threat
Citing figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, the statement noted that at least 64,368 Palestinians have been confirmed killed since Israel’s offensive began in October 2023. Tens of thousands more remain missing or trapped under rubble, with humanitarian access still severely limited.
The United Nations estimates that about 92 per cent of all residential buildings in Gaza — roughly 436,000 homes — have been damaged or destroyed. Aid agencies say the real death toll may be far higher than official counts suggest.
The statement described Israel’s blockade as a “mass atrocity with global consequences,” asserting that the ongoing violence and disregard for humanitarian law endanger international stability. The groups demanded sanctions, divestment, protection for aid flotillas, and international peacekeeping intervention in Gaza. They also called for governments to recognise armed resistance as a legitimate form of self-defence against occupation.
Civil society challenges global inaction
The statement criticised what it described as government “neutrality and political delay,” including Singapore’s current stance of withholding recognition of Palestine until certain statehood conditions are met. “We regret that leaders in power have till now not acted decisively in any measure to stop the mass killing and forced starvation of the people of Gaza,” the groups said. “We refuse to watch in silence as Israel models to other governments that acts of violence and abuse can be unjustly committed against communities deemed inconvenient.”
National leaders express contrasting views
The joint statement came as several public figures expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis. Former President Halimah Yacob, in a Facebook post on 4 September, described Israel’s reported plans to displace another one million Palestinians as “so chilling.”
She condemned what she called the “normalising of injustice, oppression and trampling of Palestinian rights,” stressing that recognising a Palestinian state is a crucial step toward restoring justice and accountability. “That’s why recognising a Palestinian state is crucial,” she wrote. “Injustice and oppression must never be normalised. That’s why we have international humanitarian laws.”
Two days earlier, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam explained at a public forum why Singapore does not yet recognise Palestine, saying that premature recognition could harm rather than help the Palestinian cause. He outlined three necessary criteria for recognition — a defined physical space, a stable population, and a functioning government — and argued that none currently exist due to the ongoing conflict and internal fragmentation within the Palestinian Authority.
“You have to ask whether recognising Palestine very immediately, where there is no viable government and there is no viable two-state solution, hurts or advances the Palestinian cause,” he said. “It’s likely to harm them.”
Singapore’s government maintains that it is “prepared in principle” to recognise Palestine but will do so only “at a time we consider appropriate.”
In direct contrast, the civil society groups rejected this position as a “pretext for inaction,” insisting that Palestinians should not have to meet the preconditions of sovereignty while facing bombardment and occupation. “Palestinians must not be made to wait for freedom until others find it politically convenient,” they wrote.
Their statement added, “The response should be a global boycott and isolation of such an entity. Not a deepening of ties. Not a position of neutrality. Not ‘We are a friend to all.’ This cannot be the right position.”
Humanitarian collapse in Gaza
According to the UN, more than two million Palestinians have been displaced at least once since late 2023. Nearly one million civilians remain in Gaza City and surrounding areas, which are now at risk of a full-scale ground offensive.
Hospitals are barely functioning, and clean water, electricity, and food supplies are critically low. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has described Gaza’s situation as “a total collapse of civilian life.”
The Singapore-based groups echoed these warnings, describing the crisis as “an emergency of international consequence” and demanding immediate, unrestricted humanitarian access and an end to the blockade.
Monday of Palestine Solidarity, BDS Movement Singapore, and Function 8 have been involved in advocacy and educational outreach on human rights issues, including Palestine solidarity work, for several years. Their support for the Global Sumud Flotilla aligns them with an expanding global network of civil society organisations calling for concrete action to end the siege, protect civilians, and restore international legal accountability.
