Greta Thunberg sets sail on second Gaza flotilla

Israel has successfully blocked every such flotilla attempt this year.

By Aaron Sull, Jewish Breaking News

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined dozens of international protesters Sunday in Barcelona for another attempt to challenge Israel’s legal maritime blockade of Gaza, despite being detained and expelled by Israeli forces just two months ago.

Departing from Barcelona’s port, the so-called Global Sumud Flotilla will be joined by additional vessels from Tunisia and other Mediterranean countries on September 4th in what organizers claim is the “largest fleet ever assembled” to try and reach Gaza.

Former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and Portuguese lawmaker Mariana Mortágua joined Thunberg aboard the flotilla, while Irish actor Liam Cunningham participated in rallies with the 22-year-old agitator before their departure.

However, Israel has successfully blocked every such attempt this year. In June, Israeli naval forces intercepted Thunberg and 11 other activists aboard the sailboat Madleen approximately 185 kilometers west of Gaza.

All passengers were detained, brought to Israeli shores, and subsequently expelled from the country.

For days prior, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had explicitly warned Thunberg and Co. to turn back, saying he had “instructed the IDF to act so that the Madleen hate flotilla does not reach the shores of Gaza.”

However, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition claimed the passengers had been “kidnapped by Israeli forces” after losing communication with the vessel.

A month later, Israeli forces intercepted another vessel, the Handala, carrying 21 pro-Hamas activists from 10 countries attempting the same mission.

Speaking to AFP Saturday, Thunberg argued that such missions “should not have to exist” but are necessary due to Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.

“It is the responsibility of countries, of our governments and elected officials, to act to try to uphold international law, to prevent war crimes, to prevent genocide. That is their legal duty to do. And they are failing to do so.”

Israel dismisses these flotillas as propaganda stunts supporting Hamas.

Israeli officials have consistently maintained that the naval blockade, imposed in 2007 when Hamas seized control of Gaza, remains necessary to prevent weapons smuggling to the terrorist organization.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has a long and often violent history of confronting Israeli naval forces.

The movement gained international attention when Israeli commandos boarded the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara in 2010, leading to international outrage.

Since then, all flotilla attempts have been intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters.