Another flotilla is being presented as a humanitarian mission to Gaza, but the Global Sumud flotilla has a much more complicated backstory.
This flotilla partnered with IHH, the same Turkish NGO behind the 2010 Mavi Marmara, where Israeli naval forces were met by organized, armed activists during an attempt to breach Israel’s blockade. The UN’s Palmer Report later found that IHH activists acted recklessly and helped create the conditions for the violence that followed.
Some activists involved are also linked to groups accused of serving as civilian cover for Hamas coordination and fundraising.
And despite the slogans calling Israel’s blockade “illegal,” the UN’s own Palmer Report affirmed in 2011 that Israel’s naval blockade is a legitimate security measure under international law, designed to prevent weapons from reaching Gaza.
If the goal were humanitarian aid, there are established land routes into Gaza coordinated through COGAT.