Ohio veteran on Gaza flotilla lands at Detroit Metro Airport after released from Israeli jail

A Toledo, Ohio, native and veteran is back home and was greeted with hugs and chants at the Detroit Metro Airport on Friday after he was released from an Israeli jail after taking part in the widely publicized Global Sumud Flotilla.

Phil Tottenham, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, had taken off from Barcelona in late August on a boat with several other American veterans and was among over 40 other boats that were intercepted by Israel as they attempted to break a blockade of Gaza, while carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid. 

“Being illegally intercepted and kidnapped and detained for five days and four nights, hunger striking,” Tottenham told CBS News Detroit.

The Israeli Navy had told the flotilla of boats, “You are entering an active war zone. If you continue and attempt to break the naval blockade, we will stop your vessel,” before detaining the over 400 people across the 40-plus boats. 

Tottenham says he took part in the flotilla because he felt the attention it would bring to the situation in Gaza would be more significant than anything else he could do to stand up for the Palestinian people. 

“We’re human beings, what else is there to do at this point in time? Protesting is not doing anything; we’ve got to do everything we can,” he said.

Many, like Ziad Hummos, drove from the Toledo area to support Tottenham after weeks of following his journey abroad. 

“I’m so proud of him as a humanitarian. You know he’s a true example of an American hero,” Hummos said.

When asked about the ceasefire and peace plan that was agreed to just a few days ago in the Middle East, Tottenham told CBS Detroit he will believe it when he sees it, and that there’s still a lot more work that needs to be done.