Is Israel's blockade of Gaza illegal?: Video
In June, Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza.
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was among the activists on board the charity ship that attempted to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the activists had intended to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and later deliver a symbolic amount of aid to the region.
Now, a fresh group of activists called the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) is attempting to break through Israel's blockade once more in order to bring aid to Gaza.
They argue Israel's blockade is an "illegal siege on Gaza" as it breaches the 4th Geneva Convention against 'collective punishment' of civilians and the San Remo Manual (1994).
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for the past 18 years. Since October 2023, it has further tightened restrictions, limiting the entry of food, fuel, and medical supplies.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) recently stated that Gaza is already experiencing the worst-case scenario of famine. The IPC called for immediate action to end the violence and allow for “unimpeded, large-scale, life-saving humanitarian response” to prevent “catastrophic human suffering”.
However, Israeli officials argue that the blockade is necessary to prevent aid from reaching Hamas. They have labelled the flotilla activists as “terrorists”.
The GSF, made up of dozens of boats and hundreds of activists from 44 countries, left Barcelona, Spain, on September 1. They expect to reach Gaza by mid-September.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
