Climate activist Greta Thunberg is among a dozen pro-Palestinian advocates who have set sail for the Gaza Strip. The group departed from Sicily on Sunday, June 1, with the goal of reaching the territory to deliver aid and pressure Israel into increasing the flow of food and medicine into the enclave.
Israel’s rationale for blockade
Israel has asserted the blockade is to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages it holds, which includes 23 captives who are believed to be alive. The IDF maintains its position that Hamas continues to take aid from Palestinians and keeps it for the army and its family members.
The United Nations, meanwhile, says Israel has provided little evidence that Hamas is siphoning aid, with one official saying the claim “doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.”
Who is operating the boat?
The sailing ship, named Madleen, is being operated by the pro-Palestinian group Freedom Flotilla Coalition. In a social media post on Sunday, June 1, the group revealed what they intend to deliver to Gazans.
“Madleen’ sails for Gaza today with twelve humanitarians and as much life-saving aid as she can carry, including baby formula, medical supplies and more. She departs from European waters, sailing entirely through international waters into Palestinian waters off Gaza.” the social post read. “Unarmed and nonviolent, ‘Madleen’ poses no threat. She sails in full accordance with international law. Any attack or interference will be a deliberate unlawful assault on civilians.”
French-Palestinian European Parliament member Rima Hassan and “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham are also aboard the ship. Israel has banned Hassan because of her opposition to its war in Gaza.
The crew said their goal is to raise “international awareness” over the ongoing hunger and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
At a press conference before they departed, Thunberg said, “We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying.” She added, “Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide.”
Israel denies genocide
Israel has denied that any genocide is occurring in Gaza, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the enemy is not the Palestinian people. Rather, it is Hamas.
Earlier this year, however, South Africa officially accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza during a formal address to the International Court of Justice. Since then, another 14 countries have signalled their intent to join the case, including Belgium, Ireland, Egypt, Mexico and others.
Group now in charge of aid
Last month, Israel ostensibly eased a blockade on aid after nearly three months. However, the flow of aid back into the beleaguered region has been anything but smooth.
The U.S.- and Israeli-backed group currently in charge of distributing aid, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has met with controversy. Since GHF started operating roughly a week ago, dozens of deaths have been reported near food distribution centers, including more than 30 Palestinians killed near a food hub in southern Gaza over the weekend.
According to witnesses, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) fired on crowds roughly 1 kilometer away from one of the sites early Sunday morning, June 1. Although witnesses and nearby medics corroborated the account, the IDF said in a statement that it was “currently unaware of injuries caused by (Israeli military) fire within the humanitarian aid distribution site,” adding, “The matter is still under review.”
The United Nations has also publicly opposed GHF, arguing that it lacks the capacity, independence and logistical reach needed to effectively alleviate the widespread hunger in Gaza, and warns that the setup may violate international law by “weaponizing” food.
The Freedom Flotilla’s goal
The Freedom Flotilla hopes its efforts can help bring relief to Palestinians in Gaza by ramping up pressure on Israel and attempting to deliver aid to the enclave.
“We are breaking the siege of Gaza by sea, but that’s part of a broader strategy of mobilizations that will also attempt to break the siege by land,” pro-Palestinian activist Thiago Avila said.
Avila noted that the effort would build on a plan for the approaching Global March on Gaza. Protesters involved in the march plan to depart from Egypt and reach the Rafah crossing, located on the border between Egypt and southern Gaza, by mid-June, at which point they will stage a mass demonstration. The goal is to bring an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and to force them to reopen Gaza’s borders.
Thunberg and crew expect their journey to take a week, but that’s without disruption. A previous attempt by the activist group failed in May after the crew said it was struck by a pair of drones while sailing near Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack. Israel did not officially respond to the accusations. Everyone aboard the ship was safe.
Criticism from Sen. Lindsey Graham
The group’s latest efforts have drawn criticism from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.. The ally of President Donald Trump and staunch supporter of Israel responded to Thunberg’s post about her trip to Gaza, writing, “Hope Greta and her friends can swim.”
Graham’s comments were condemned by pro-Palestinian activists, with some calling them “unhinged” and accusing Graham of “threatening” the crew.
