Gaza-bound Flotilla Turns Back Due to Storm, Activists Allege Israeli Obstruction of Aid
BARCELONA – A flotilla attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, including Irish activists and actor Liam Cunningham, was forced to turn back Saturday due to severe weather conditions in the Mediterranean Sea. The mission, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, represents the fourth attempt this year to challenge the maritime blockade of Gaza.Greta Thunberg was among those intending to join the effort, having previously been deported by Israel in June when the ship she was traveling on, the Madleen, was intercepted with 11 others. “It has been very clear that Israel has been continuously violating international law by either attacking,unlawfully intercepting the boats in international waters,and continuously preventing the humanitarian aid from coming in,” Thunberg stated in an interview with The Associated Press.
Prior to the departure from barcelona, Cunningham presented a video of a young girl, Fatima, who had recently died while anticipating her own funeral, highlighting the dire situation in Gaza. “What sort of world have we slid into where children are making their own funeral arrangements?” Cunningham asked reporters.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition reports that earlier attempts this year to break the blockade have also been thwarted. In May, the Conscience was attacked by drones after leaving Malta. In late July, the Handala was stopped by the Israeli military, resulting in the detention of 21 international activists and reporters and the seizure of aid supplies, including baby formula, food, and medicine.
The attempted aid delivery comes as Israel announced it would soon halt or slow humanitarian aid into parts of northern Gaza,coinciding with an expanded military offensive against Hamas. The current conflict began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of 251 hostages.
