Jerusalem: The Israeli Foreign Ministry's recent call for flotilla vessels to "dock and transfer" humanitarian aid through Ashkelon Port in Israel cannot be deemed as a neutral logistical request, says the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the GSF stated that this move is part of Israel's long-standing pattern of obstructing aid to Gaza and attempting to delegitimize those challenging its unlawful blockade.
Since May 2025, after lifting its 'total blockade', Israel has only allowed an average of 70 trucks per day into Gaza. The United Nations agencies estimate that between 500 and 600 trucks are necessary daily to meet basic needs. The GSF highlighted Israel's history of intercepting vessels, blocking convoys, and restricting routes, asserting that the goal is not to facilitate relief but to control, delay, and deny it.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned these practices as violations of international law and dangerous obstructions of impartial humanitarian assistance. The GSF warns that Israel's rhetoric against their organization is setting the stage for further escalation, portraying a peaceful humanitarian mission as a 'breach of the law,' which is a pretext for violence against civilians lawfully delivering aid.
Amnesty International has cautioned that such threats 'flout international law' and endanger lives. The GSF emphasized that the international community should not treat these demands as benign operational instructions, describing them as a continuation of a blockade that independent UN investigators have termed a form of collective punishment and part of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The GSF is urging governments, UN agencies, and humanitarian organizations to ensure safe passage and protection for aid workers, medical facilities, and civilians. They call for upholding international humanitarian law by rejecting Israel's unlawful siege and supporting efforts to deliver aid directly to Gaza's population while acting decisively to end the ongoing genocide.
The GSF warns that failing to address these issues risks entrenching a system of forced starvation, deprivation, and collective punishment that is costing thousands of Palestinian lives. The GSF journey across the Mediterranean Sea, carrying food, medicine, and a message of peace, is scheduled to arrive in Gaza waters by the end of this month. This journey unites an international coalition from Europe, Asia, South Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, aiming to draw global attention to pressure Israel to cease the genocide against Gaza and permit the entry of humanitarian aid.