A coalition of human rights advocates has arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, as they prepare to set sail to Gaza on a civilian flotilla carrying urgently needed food and medicine. Hundreds will participate in the humanitarian aid mission. The Freedom Flotilla is expected to set sail later this month. This is Palestinian American activist Huwaida Arraf.
Huwaida Arraf: “What we have on board is lifesaving aid. We are watching in horror as an entire people are being deliberately starved, on top of the bombings and the killings and the maiming that we have seen. And we can’t stand by, because our governments aren’t doing anything to stop it. So we are taking to sea to attempt to deliver this aid and to directly challenge the siege in hopes of breaking it.”
Huwaida Arraf was one of the organizers of the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which Israel attacked, killing 10 activists.
I can’t think of a more inviting target than a defenseless civilian ship ignoring all reason by sailing into an active combat zone without authorisation. Do they actually expect to just park up and do what they want, or expect their nations governments to come to their rescue? Good on them for wanting to help but this is the equivalent of a black man walking into KKK HQ to hand out some books.
I support Israel right to defend itself but well aware of a number of potential war crimes they have committed in the process - you may as well place a nice big radar reflector on top and save them the trouble.
What these people are doing is incredibly brave, is it dangerous? Yes, but it is noble and not a wrong thing to do. I admire their courage to actually put their lives at risk to help others survive a terrible genocidal siege and man made starvation. If israel or the idf dare to attack these people it will be added to the long list of war crimes which they will, at some point in time, be prosecuted for.
But even then, israel has gained so much hate worldwide, that will eventually lead up to something, who knows what but it can’t be a good thing to be hated by most of the human population. I think it’s funny when you say “potential war crimes” as if that is still even a question, there is so much compelling evidence of multiple war crimes, any talk of “potential” is just massive amounts of copium at this point.