Gaza aid flotilla departs Turkey as Israel naval blockade faces renewed legal scrutiny

Dozens of boats carrying aid and activists for Palestinians began leaving Turkey’s Mediterranean coast on Thursday. The move marked another attempt to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Organisers said the boats aimed to reach Gaza’s shoreline. The sailings came weeks after Israel stopped a previous flotilla and detained two activists.

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Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said more than 50 vessels were due to depart from Marmaris. Organisers described the departure as the final stage of the journey. The fleet included a regrouped group after the earlier interception. Additional boats also joined. Organisers said nearly 500 activists from 45 countries were taking part.

Gaza blockade and Global Sumud Flotilla aims

Organisers said the flotilla aimed to focus attention on Gaza’s conditions after the Israel-Hamas war. A six-month-old ceasefire has stopped the heaviest fighting. Still, about 2 million residents were living in ruins. Food and medicine shortages continued. Aid was entering in limited amounts through one Israeli-controlled border post.

Israel and Egypt have kept varying levels of restrictions on Gaza since 2007. That was when Hamas took control from rival Palestinian forces. Israel said the blockade was needed to stop Hamas importing arms. Critics said the measures punished Gaza’s wider population. Questions also remained about enforcing blockades in international waters.

Israel interception of flotilla and activist detentions

On April 30, Israeli forces stopped more than 20 boats near Crete, off southern Greece. About 175 activists were held at first, organisers said. The incident triggered protests and condemnation from several countries. Israeli officials said they acted early due to the large number of boats involved.

Israel took two activists to Israel for interrogation and detention. They were Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Avila. The activists accused Israel of torture. Brazil and Spain condemned Israel for kidnapping their citizens. Both activists were deported from Israel on Sunday.

Gaza war deaths and blockade debate linked to Global Sumud Flotilla

The Gaza Health Ministry said 72,744 Palestinians have been killed since Oct 7, 2023. That was when a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people. The attack also saw 251 taken hostage. The ministry does not separate civilians from militants in its totals.

UN agencies and independent experts have said the ministry’s records were generally reliable. The ministry is part of the Hamas-led government. The latest flotilla effort followed earlier failed attempts to break the blockade. Organisers said the sailings were designed to renew global attention on the crisis.

Past flotilla attempts and Israel action before Global Sumud Flotilla

Last year, Israeli authorities stopped a similar effort with about 50 vessels and some 500 activists. The group included Greta Thunberg, Mandla Mandela and European lawmakers. Israel arrested, detained and later deported participants. Activists said Israeli authorities abused them. Israeli authorities denied those accusations.

Earlier attempts to reach Gaza by sea have also failed. In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Turkish boat Mavi Marmara during an aid voyage. Nine Turkish citizens and one Turkish-American were killed. The last time an activist boat reached Gaza was in 2008. The new convoy again sought to complete that journey.

With inputs from PTI