"The Global Sumud Flotilla, the most ambitious and largest maritime mission to try to reach Gaza to date, set sail from various ports at the end of August. It comprises nearly 1,000 participants, including the Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, the former mayor of the Spanish city Barcelona Ada Colau, and the Irish actor Liam Cunningham. The flotilla, which is defined as a fleet of ships under one command, was warmly received during a stopover in Tunisia on Sunday."
"But it is unlikely that they will actually be allowed to reach Gaza's shore and dock. All previous attempts to do so since 2010 have been thwarted by Israeli forces. Israel argues that the naval blockade it set up in 2007, after Hamas took over as Gaza's ruling entity, is necessary to prevent the Islamist militant group, which is categorized as a terror organization by the US, EU and many others, from importing arms."
"In the view of many human rights organizations and NGOs, however, the blockade constitutes collective punishment, which is illegal under international law. Gaza's already dire humanitarian situation has further deteriorated in the almost two years of war, which was triggered by the Hamas-led terror attacks of October 7, 2023 against Israel. UN officials and others have said that as part of its ongoing military campaign, Israel is committing war crimes, including ethnic cleansing and deliberate starvation."
The Global Sumud Flotilla launched end of August with about 50 vessels and nearly 1,000 participants carrying humanitarian supplies and receiving public support during stopovers. High-profile participants include Greta Thunberg, Ada Colau and Liam Cunningham. Previous flotillas since 2010 have been intercepted and are unlikely to be permitted to dock in Gaza. Israel maintains a naval blockade established in 2007, citing prevention of arms imports to Hamas. Human rights organizations view the blockade as collective punishment and illegal under international law. Gaza's humanitarian situation has severely worsened during almost two years of war, with UN officials accusing Israel of war crimes and warning of famine.
Read at www.dw.com
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