Global Sumud Flotilla heading for Gaza

[smallglassbottle]

https://youtube.com/shorts/whzFomXOWVs?si=WwgxrwCycwxx_OTf

The largest aid flotilla so far.

Hi there, just a quick correction since you seem a bit confused - the boats are in international waters and will then be going into Palestinian waters - they are not travelling to Israel so Israel can just leave them exercise their legal rights to sail the seas.

There is no such thing as Palestinian waters

I am pretty sure thats not what the Flotilla want!!

Would be good if Israel did nothing and then there would be no show for the tictok cameras, and no online martyrdom. Fingers crossed.

I agree that the best option here is to just let them arrive in Gaza.

But there are a few practical issues:
There is only one small port in Gaza city which has been heavily damaged and in no way could take 50 vessels of the flotilla. So where exactly are they proposing to land?
If they even do land then how are they going to be able to refuel/ re provision etc in order to leave again?
Having 500 westerners turn up in Gaza is frankly too good an opportunity for Hamas to pass up by detaining them and using them as a bargaining chip / human shields to try and extract better terms on the current peace proposal.

So the best option for Israel is to let them go to Gaza and the best option for Hamas is to detain (maybe saying something like it's for the own safety because of the Israelis etc).

Give it an old google “In 2015 the State of Palestine became a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Under UNCLOS, coastal states like Palestine can claim sovereign rights over waters extending up to 12 nautical miles from their coast (the territorial sea) and resource rights over an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that can extend up to 200 nautical miles.

Following its accession, Palestine filed declarations with the UN defining its maritime zones off the Gaza coast.”

So it is in fact Palestinian water - Israel are breaching international law and stealing what does not belong to them, as per usual.

Also a cambridge article on it:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/leiden-journal-of-international-law/article/gaza-marine-the-facts-and-the-law/C029A409DC49A37CA47753C48AED5252

A country can occupy enemy "waters" (meaning maritime territory under enemy control) during a war if it establishes effective control, but this occupation is temporary and does not grant sovereignty, and is governed by rules protecting civilian populations and public property. This occupation is regulated by the law of occupation, as defined by the Hague Regulations and Geneva Conventions, which requires the occupying power to maintain public order and respect existing laws, while also being prohibited from deporting its own population into the territory.

Easily googleable.

Did you miss the word TEMPORARY!!! They’ve been at it for years, decades even! Also they cannot block aid - what are they doing but blocking aid. It is completely illegal buy the Israeli government think they have a divine right to do what they want and take what they want.

Gaza is either occupied or its not. Make your mind up.

Aren't they blocking a few things? I can't say I blame them after what happened on 7/10. Before that, I never really got the tight security around Israel. Now I do.

There’s live coverage on Instagram of it now being intercepted

There’s apparently commentary on Middle East Eyes page on YouTube

Looks as though they deliberately timed their approach to coincide with Yom Kippur, just as Hamas took advantage of Simchat Torah on 7/10.

It can't be a coincidence. Reprehensible behaviour.

Just underlines their obvious rabid antisemitism really, no surprises there 😞

Honestly they should have just let them carry on to Gaza to find out the practicalities of their publicity stunt:
Gaza port is too small for 50 boats and heavily damaged so I don't know where they were thinking of docking
How would they go about refuelling and provisioning the vessels for the return leg
If I was Hamas given the deadline on the peace proposal then this would be an ideal opportunity to detain the 500 activists from many countries (say for their own safety) and use them as human shields / bargaining chips to get a better deal for Hamas.

Israel detaining them simply gives them the publicity they crave.

No empathy whatsoever. Its so disgraceful.

I sort of feel that too. But I suppose if they let them in everyone would have a go.

They are seeking publicity so stopping them is giving them what they want. By stopping them it will only encourage more publicity hungry activists. I think if the Israelis let them through and they discovered the realities of being a gay / female activist hanging out in Gaza with their Hamas chums, trying to find where to dock and importantly how to get out again then that would do a lot more to discourage further voyages.
Besides if they let this one through then they can still stop others in future.

Well that's true.

Watching the live feed. They are amazing.

They are idiots.

🙄

A country can occupy enemy "waters" (meaning maritime territory under enemy control) during a war if it establishes effective control, but this occupation is temporary and does not grant sovereignty, and is governed by rules protecting civilian populations and public property.

Well Israel have certainly abided by the rules protecting civilian populations and public property.