Second International Aid Fleet Sets Sail for Gaza Following Illegal ‘israeli’ Abduction of Sumud Flotilla
A new international humanitarian fleet has embarked on a mission to challenge Israel's almost complete blockade of Gaza. This follows the interception by Tel Aviv of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a significant 50-vessel convoy aimed at providing aid to Palestinians in the besieged coastal area who are suffering from the impacts of conflict and severe shortages.
An American investigative outlet, Drop Site News, reported on Friday that a fleet of 10 boats set sail from the Italian and Spanish coastlines between September 25 and 27.
A fleet has reportedly been organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), a group known for coordinating Gaza-bound convoys since 2010, in collaboration with the grassroots organization Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG). The TMTG was named after an aid ship bound for Gaza that was targeted in June.
The delegation consists of close to 70 individuals hailing from over 20 nations, comprising parliamentarians and elected officials from Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, France, and the United States.
Another vessel is challenging Israel’s media blackout.
En route, the fleet was joined by the Conscience, a substantial ship that set sail from Otranto, Italy, on September 30. The vessel was transporting 80 individuals, among them were international journalists, medical professionals, and numerous Palestinian doctors who had volunteered to assist in Gaza.
The FFC has reported that for almost two years, Israeli authorities have restricted international journalists from accessing Gaza, resulting in what is considered one of the most perilous media blackouts in recent history. “This boat is our challenge to that silence,” the organization declared.
A report released on Friday follows the interception by the regime of the final ship participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla. The flotilla embarked from Barcelona late last month, aiming to contest what human rights organizations have criticized as one of the most severe and inhumane blockades globally.
The maritime endeavor, touted as the most extensive of its kind in several decades, has successfully united delegations from at least 44 countries.
The series of interceptions has sparked widespread international condemnation.
Israeli Minister Labels GSF Activists as ‘Terrorists’
On Friday, Drop Site News reported that Adala, a rights organization located in the occupied city of Haifa, outlined the violations perpetrated by the regime against GSF activists.
Following their capture in international waters, the individuals involved were reportedly made to kneel with their hands bound with zip ties for a minimum of five hours. This occurred after some members of the group chanted “Free Palestine,” according to a report from the group.
At the occupied port of Ashdod, authorities reported that a minimum of 331 activists underwent hearings before Israeli immigration officials.
Adalah criticized the regime’s treatment of detainees, describing it as illegal, degrading, and part of a pattern of systemic abuse.
Reports indicate that the far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is set to interrupt lawyer visits, and it has been observed that participants are being recorded during these encounters.
A video was shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, depicting Ben-Gvir speaking to the detainees in a derogatory manner, referring to them as “the flotilla terrorists.”
According to the group, detainees faced severe conditions, being deprived of water, medicine, and legal access. Lawyers were reportedly barred from participating in hearings, which commenced without the presence of legal representation.
Following their transfer from Ashdod to the regime-controlled Ktzi’ot Prison, participants have reported instances of threats and harassment.
Adalah emphasized that the entire procedure breached international law, describing the naval interception as an abduction and labeling the blockade as an unlawful act of collective punishment and genocide.
The call was made for the release of the activists, urging the regime to be held accountable and requesting the return of seized belongings and aid supplies.
Recent developments have unfolded as the regime continues to employ siege tactics to weaponize starvation in the ongoing conflict considered genocidal, which commenced in October 2023, targeting the Gaza Strip.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in Tel Aviv employing both aerial bombings and tactics akin to starvation, leading to the deaths of nearly 66,300 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children.
