Expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza Prevented by Global Sumud Flotilla
Photo courtesy of Abederrahmane Amajou
Since October 7, 2023 Israel has waged a relentless bombing and shelling operation against the Palestinian people in Gaza, breaking every rule of engagement and every international humanitarian law. A cruel siege stopped aid, fuel, electricity and medication, leaving civilians on the brink of starvation while doctors were forced to amputate children’s limbs without anaesthetic. Despite independent verification and eye witness accounts by the media, the UN and humanitarian organizations, Israel continues to deny the genocide, which has cost the lives of over 69,000 Palestinians while thousands of others remain unaccounted for, buried under tonnes of rubble.
After several failed attempts, a ceasefire was declared on October 10. However one month on Israel has violated the agreement at least 282 times through the continuation of attacks by air, artillery and direct shootings, the Government Media Office in Gaza reports, killing hundreds of people. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), only half the required food aid is currently reaching Gaza while a coalition of Palestinian relief agencies said total aid deliveries amounted to just one-quarter of what was agreed under the ceasefire deal.
Before the ceasefire, desperate Palestinians were relying on meagre handouts that managed to get through the Israeli blockade. The Gaza Freedom Flotilla was intended to break the blockade and deliver aid. A vessel, the Madleen, departed from Sicily on June 1 with baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, medical kits and crutches. In the early hours of June 9, Israeli forces intercepted, attacked with a chemical spray, boarded and seized the Madleen in international waters and transported the 12 people on board to detention in Israel, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan. The detained crew members were later deported from Israel.
Another attempt, the Global Sumud Flotilla, set sail on August 31 from Barcelona with 500 participants on 50 ships from more than 44 countries, making it the largest civilian-led convoy of its kind in history. Between October 1 and 2, the Israeli Navy intercepted the ships, arresting hundreds of people who were then deported to their countries.
The Global Sumud Flotilla was an international movement of coordinated, nonviolent action, bringing together a diverse coalition of grassroots networks and organizations. People on board included humanitarians, doctors, artists, clergy, lawyers and seafarers who believed in human dignity and the power of collective action.
UN experts stressed that the flotilla was a consequence of the failure of the international community to end Israel’s unlawful blockade of Gaza and the catastrophic humanitarian crisis it had produced. “Civil society activists would not be compelled to risk their lives at sea if the General Assembly or Security Council had taken decisive action to ensure safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the experts said.
One of the activists participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla, Abederrahmane Amajou from Italy who was arrested by Israel, was in Colombo and spoke to Groundviews about his experience in the flotilla and why countries should cut ties with Israel.
Why did you decide to join the flotilla?
I cannot start this interview without remembering the more than 265 journalists who were killed in these last two years in Gaza. Journalists are a target because they are trying to share the truth of what is happening. It is the first time we have seen a conflict where no international journalist is allowed to enter. They are trying to hide everything but everyone knows what is happening; thanks to social media, thanks to different journalists, thanks to the people of Gaza, we are told what is happening. The main reason that convinced me to try to go back to Palestine was to shine a spotlight on the situation and also to call on our politicians and governments to take action to stop the genocide and to use our bodies and our passports as the power of change. When I saw the flotilla was recruiting people, I applied as an individual, not as representing my organization. I felt that I had to do something more. I couldn’t just keep going to protests and signing petitions. The flotilla trip could be the action that opens up the eyes of people around the world. And it worked. We saw the result; the impact was huge and we are happy that although we didn’t reach Gaza, we saw the impact this mission had on people on the ground, the Palestinian people and different governments across the world. Our mission was to end the blockade because the blockade didn’t allow food or medicine to enter Gaza. I had a lot of messages wishing me the best for the trip even by the Jewish community in Chicago where I was working. All these people were hoping that the flotilla would reach Gaza.
What was your experience in the flotilla?
There were 18 Italian boats. We left together and were waiting for the group from Tunisia to join us. Israel started bombing the group in Tunisia and this delayed our departure. When the Italian boats left from Sicily and got close to the sea of Greece, we were bombed between 11 and 15 times by Israeli drones. Four boats were destroyed. People risked their lives. We were stuck in Greece for three days. There were no casualties but they were trying to scare us by telling us that it would be fatal. So we risked our lives. Israel was using social media, putting videos of boats similar to the flotilla, saying they were bombing and destroying them. The Italian government told us go back to Italy. We knew that Israel would bomb us but we did not expect that they would bomb us almost in Europe. The Italian government was obliged by the law to send a military vessel to protect us. It stayed in international waters. After three days we departed and the Italian ship stayed with us until we were 150 miles from Gaza. We got a huge amount of attention because we had countries supporting flotilla and because the mission was legal, humanitarian and peaceful, many governments felt obliged to support us. When we were 150 miles from Gaza, the Italian navy told us to go back and offered to take us on their ship but we didn’t do that because we wanted the Palestinian people to know that they were not alone. We were willing to risk our lives to end the blockade. It was a political mission to establish international law, which is never respected by Israel. At 8.30 pm they started the interceptions, which lasted until 7 am. We were a lot of boats so it was not easy to stop us. The interception was violent because they jumped onto our boat with violence, they pointed their guns at our faces, scaring us and telling us not to move. But we were ready to be kidnapped and arrested. In our mission, we followed the Mahatma Gandhi non-violence protest. We did not to reply to their violence. If they kicked us or spat on us, we didn’t do anything.
What did the flotilla achieve since it did not break the siege?
The biggest success was that President Donald Trump’s plan changed completely. Trump wanted to expel the Palestinian people. Until August, this was the only plan on the table – the expulsion of the Palestinian people in Gaza to other countries in the area. Then Gaza would be rebuilt and be under the jurisdiction of Israel and would be the Dubai of the Mediterranean. But the flotilla changed everything. People around the world are shouting loudly that they won’t accept the criminal plan of the US and they start asking for change. The flotilla pushed the Italian government to stop sending weapons to Israel. Another achievement was that because of the flotilla and people’s protests, the European Commission came up with nine sanctions against Israel and froze its agreement with the country, valued at 46 billion euro a year. It also froze some bank account of settlers. The protests helped a lot – people on the streets making a change because governments are still looking at the protests as participation in democracy. Never underestimate your power as a citizen.
Do you think the ceasefire will hold and the peace plan is feasible?
This is not a ceasefire because every day people are killed. They never stopped killing Palestinians and they never respected this ceasefire. A few days ago the parliament even approved the death penalty for Palestinian people in prisons. So this is not a ceasefire but another way to calm the protests. It’s another way to pretend that everything is fine now but it’s not fine at all. It’s another way to stop the mobilisation of people by saying there’s a ceasefire and the Israeli military is leaving Gaza but actually they are still in the northern part of Gaza, bombing and controlling the borders. In Italy we will have a national strike on November 28. Every week people are protesting in cities around the world.
What is your opinion of Israelis visiting Sri Lanka?
We need people to protest against this because it’s unfair that Palestinian people are stuck in their country, unable to leave for a vacation. I wish countries would do as the Maldives did, forbidding entry to the Israeli military. I’m not talking about the citizens of Israel who have nothing to do with the war but military people who come to recharge their batteries and go back to Gaza to kill again. Democracies should not accept this. They should make it clear that killers are not welcome in their countries.
How do you think Sri Lanka is handling its relations with Israel and Palestine?
I think Sri Lanka must sympathise with the Palestinian people because they have had the same experience of colonialism. They know what it means not to be free and they know what it means to fight for their freedom. The government has economic interests with Israel but it should not because we are talking about a criminal state, wanted for genocide. You can’t have a normal relationship with a government that has the power to do whatever it wants without respecting the international law. It should not be acceptable. The Italian government and also the Sri Lankan government must think deeply about this relationship. Whoever is in a responsible position of power should be brave enough to step back and say “you are a criminal state and we can’t keep working together”. Even developing countries should be free to follow principles and not money.
