Pax Christi USA condemns Israel’s interception of Global Sumud Flotilla

The Global Sumud Flotilla, a nonviolent humanitarian mission of small civilian boats that aimed to break Israel’s siege on Gaza, was boarded late on Wednesday 1 October by Israeli forces in international waters roughly 75 miles off the coast of Gaza.

Several hundred activists and volunteers from 47 countries, including doctors, parliamentarians, lawyers, and the Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, were detained in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The flotilla set off from ports in Tunisia, Italy, and Greece in mid-September. It was intended it should take food, medicine, and baby formula to Gaza. 

Israel stated on Thursday that all of the flotilla passengers would be deported. So far, 138 have returned to their home countries, but 328 are still being held in Ktzi’ot Prison in the Negev Desert. Some of those who have been released allege mistreatment in Israeli detention.

Ewa Jasiewicz, a British and Polish national, was among those detained by the Israeli military who have now returned to the UK. She was also on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in 2010, which was raided by Israeli forces leading to the death of nine activists and injury of 30 more, with one dying later. Ten Israeli soldiers were also injured, one seriously.

Her family said, “Ewa and all the flotilla participants were risking their lives to highlight the illegal blockade of Gaza, and to put pressure on their governments to end to the genocide of the Palestinian people. She has always stood up to injustice and we are incredibly proud of her.”

The Catholic peace movement Pax Christi USA said in a statement, “The Global Sumud Flotilla sailed to Gaza with desperately needed food and medical supplies, as a nonviolent civilian-led mission to break the blockade. This blockade, both illegal under international law and antithetical to the inherent human dignity of all people, has resulted in an entirely man-made famine currently spreading across northern Gaza, conditions of medical apartheid barring Palestinians from accessing much-needed healthcare, and what has become known as the largest open-air prison in the world.

“As people of faith, we are called to challenge violence in all forms, engage in nonviolent resistance wherever possible, and resist complicity with injustice; we see this same calling echoed in the mission of the Global Sumud Flotilla.” Pax Christi UK has also called for full access for humanitarian aid to all parts of Gaza and for an end to UK military cooperation with Israel and “the genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank”.

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