Royal Navy should 'sail to Gaza and deliver aid', says MSP
Greer, who is currently standing in his party's leadership contest, said "there is nothing Israel could do to stop" the Royal Navy from sailing towards Gaza.
Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer His comments come as the number of people killed by Israel in Gaza has surpassed 62,000, with at least 263 Palestinians now dead as a result of forced starvation.
Greer told The Herald: "There is absolutely nothing stopping European nations from breaking the siege.
"If the British navy sailed to Gaza right now, there is nothing Israel could do to stop them.
READ MORE: Putin and Zelenskyy 'to meet' following White House summit with European leaders
"We are allowing this starvation to take place. The aid could be put onto British naval ships and sailed to Gaza which is on the coast.
"We couldn't reach the West Bank without going through the territory of another country. If you wanted to get to Gaza through the Rafah crossing you would need to get Egypt to agree if you wanted to get to the West Bank you would need Jordan to agree, but there is nothing stopping us from sailing straight to Gaza to break the siege."
Greer has previously called on the Scottish Government to impose a full state boycott on Israel.
As revealed by The National, First Minister John Swinney said he is considering the proposals, which would see official guidance issued to businesses urging them to end trade with Israel.
Humanitarian organisations have previously tried to sail aid ships towards Gaza to break Israel's siege against the enclave.
More recently, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) sent their Madleen ship in June, which was intercepted by Israel while sailing in international waters.
The Madleen was carrying 12 people onboard, including Swedish climate and social justice campaigner Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan.
READ MORE: Crown Office cancels court dates for Scottish activists on terror charges
The ship was seized by Israeli forces and the crew were taken to Israel, where they were detained before eventually being deported.
And in late July, the FFC's Handala ship was again intercepted by Israel in international waters after getting closer to Gaza than the previous mission.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition's Handala ship (Image: Freedom Flotilla Coalition) A new mission, called the Global Sumud Flotilla, will set sail from Spain on August 31 in an attempt to break Israel's siege and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid.
The flotilla is made up of dozens of activists from 44 different countries and is believed to be the world's biggest maritime mission to break Israel's siege on Gaza.
The National has contacted the Ministry of Defence for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
38 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Nato defence chiefs hold virtual meeting on Ukraine security guarantees
Italian admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of Nato's Military Committee, said that 32 defence chiefs from across the alliance would hold a video conference as a US-led diplomatic push seeks to end the fighting. US general Alexus Grynkewich, Nato's supreme allied commander in Europe, will take part in the talks, Mr Dragone said on social platform X. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov chided efforts to work on security arrangements in Ukraine without Moscow's involvement. 'We cannot agree with the fact that it is now proposed to resolve collective security issues without the Russian Federation. This will not work,' Mr Lavrov said, according to state news agency RIA Novosti. Russia will 'ensure (its) legitimate interests firmly and harshly', Mr Lavrov added at a news conference in Moscow with Jordanian foreign minister Ayman al-Safadi. US president Donald Trump met last Friday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, and on Monday hosted Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and prominent European leaders at the White House. Neither meeting delivered concrete progress. Mr Trump is trying to steer Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky towards a settlement more than three years after Russia invaded its neighbour, but there are major obstacles. They include Ukraine's demands for Western-backed military assurances to ensure Russia will not mount another invasion in coming years. 'We need strong security guarantees to ensure a truly secure and lasting peace,' Mr Zelensky said in a Telegram post on Wednesday after Russian missile and drone strikes hit six regions of Ukraine overnight. Last night, a drone strike on Okhtyrka in the Sumy region injured 14 people. A family with wounded children – 5 months, 4 years, and 6 years old – sought assistance after the attack. In Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, a glide bomb strike damaged five apartment buildings, and at… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 20, 2025 Kyiv's European allies are looking to set up a force that could backstop any peace agreement, and a coalition of 30 countries, including European nations, Japan and Australia, have signed up to support the initiative. Military chiefs are figuring out how that security force might work. The role that the US might play in is unclear. Mr Trump has ruled out sending US troops to help defend Ukraine against Russia. Russia has repeatedly said that it would not accept Nato troops in Ukraine. Attacks on civilian areas in Sumy and Odesa overnight into Wednesday injured 15 people, including a family with three small children, Ukrainian authorities said. Mr Zelensky said the strikes 'only confirm the need for pressure on Moscow, the need to introduce new sanctions and tariffs until diplomacy works to its full potential'.
The Herald Scotland
42 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Colin Smyth MSP suspended from Scottish Labour Party
ITV Border's Political Editor, Kieran Andrews wrote on X: "Labour MSP Colin Smyth has been suspended by the party. "Breaking news story which we'll update as more information comes to light." Mr Smyth, who has represented the South Scotland region since 2016, has been an active member of the Scottish Labour Party throughout his political career. He has held various positions within the party, including serving as spokesperson for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity from 2017 to 2021. READ MORE: Why Scotland needs a second phase of growth deals – and fast Scottish Government scraps Galloway and Ayrshire national park plan The MSP has also introduced significant legislation, such as the Commissioner for Older People (Scotland) Bill, aimed at establishing an independent advocate for older people's rights. As an independent MSP, Smyth will continue to serve his constituents. At this time, further details regarding the reasons for Smyth's suspension have not been publicly disclosed. The Scottish Labour Party has been contacted for comment. More to follow.
North Wales Chronicle
44 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Train passengers face potential 5.8% fares hike
The potential rise is based on the Office for National Statistics announcing that Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation rose to 4.8% in July. The Government has not confirmed how it will determine the cap on regulated fare rises in 2026, but this year's 4.6% hike was one percentage point above RPI in July 2024. If that formula is used to set next year's fare increase, the cost of train travel will jump by 5.8%. That would mean an annual season ticket from Woking to London rising by £247 to £4,507. A flexi ticket for travel two days per week over a year from Liverpool to Manchester would increase by £120.30 to £2,195.10. Train punctuality in Britain is at its lowest level in more than five years. Ben Plowden, chief executive of lobby group Campaign for Better Transport, said: 'Today's inflation figure could mean a big fare rise for rail passengers next year, especially if the Government decides to go with an above-inflation increase like we saw this year. 'With the railways now moving under public control, the fundamental question for the Government is how to use its role in setting fares policy to deliver a more affordable rail network and encourage more people to travel on it. 'Next year's annual rise represents the first real opportunity for the Government to show passengers – both current and future – just how it plans to do this.' About 45% of fares on Britain's railways are regulated by the Westminster, Scottish and Welsh Governments. They include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance routes, and flexible tickets for travel around major cities. Paul Kohler, the Liberal Democrats' transport spokesman, said using the same formula again would be 'nothing short of ludicrous', adding: 'Commuters are simply being taken for a ride. 'We simply cannot allow the current rate of inflation to set rail fares while services get worse. 'To increase rail fares at all in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis would be nothing other than a slap in the face to ordinary people.' Mr Kohler urged the Government to scrap any plan for a rail fare rise to 'get more people onto the trains', while Conservative shadow transport secretary Richard Holden accused Labour of 'turning a blind eye to fare dodging'. He said: 'Labour's election promises ring hollow as passengers are hit with inflation-busting rises on top of cancelled trains, driver shortages and chaos across the network. 'These fare rises are a direct result of Labour's disastrous economic mismanagement.' The Department for Transport (DfT) said there will be an update on changes to regulated fares later this year. Operators set rises in unregulated fares, although these are likely to be very close to regulated ticket increases because their decisions are heavily influenced by governments. Office of Rail and Road figures show trains in Britain reached 66.7% of scheduled stops within a minute of the timetable in the year to July 19. That is the worst performance since the year to May 30 2020. Some operators are currently struggling with dry weather. A lack of moisture in clay soil embankments has disturbed track levels, preventing trains from safely travelling at full speed in parts of south-west and south-east England. A DfT spokesperson said: 'The Transport Secretary has made clear her number one priority is getting the railways back to a place where people can rely on them. 'The Government is putting passengers at the heart of its plans for public ownership and Great British Railways (GBR), delivering the services they deserve and driving growth. 'No decisions have been made on next year's rail fares but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers.' The Government is nationalising train operators as their contracts expire. GBR is an upcoming public sector body that will oversee Britain's rail infrastructure and train operation.
