logo
Greta Thunberg, activists plan new aid flotilla to Gaza

Greta Thunberg, activists plan new aid flotilla to Gaza

Khaleej Times18 hours ago
Greta Thunberg said she and a Palestinian activist group plan to sail a new flotilla loaded with humanitarian aid to Gaza to break the "illegal Israeli siege".
Two other attempts by activists to deliver aid by ship to Gaza, in June and July, were blocked by Israel. Troops boarded their vessels and detained the activists before expelling them.
"On August 31st we are launching the biggest attempt ever to break the illegal Israeli siege over Gaza with dozens of boats sailing from Spain," the Swedish campaigner wrote on Instagram late Sunday.
"We will meet dozens more on September 4th sailing from Tunisia and other ports," she said.
The group will mobilise activists from 44 countries for the initiative dubbed "Global Sumud Flotilla", which will also include simultaneous demonstrations.
Humanitarian activists, doctors and artists — including actors Susan Sarandon of the US, Gustaf Skarsgard of Sweden and Liam Cunningham of Ireland — are due to take part.
The exact number of ships sailing to Gaza this time was not specified.
The "Global Sumud Flotilla" describes itself on its website as an "independent" organisation not affiliated with any government or political party.
Israel's 22-month offensive has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, figures the United Nations says are reliable.
Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gaza journalists' deaths fit Israel's pattern of lethal force
Gaza journalists' deaths fit Israel's pattern of lethal force

The National

time34 minutes ago

  • The National

Gaza journalists' deaths fit Israel's pattern of lethal force

Anas Al Sharif, one of the five journalists deliberately killed by Israeli forces on Sunday, knew he was a marked man. As well as a press freedom group and a UN expert previously warning that Al Sharif's life was in danger owing to his reporting from Gaza, according to his employer Al Jazeera, the 28-year-old correspondent had left a social media message to be posted in the event of his death. This read, 'I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation, hoping that God would witness those who remained silent.' The Israeli military claimed that 'intelligence and documents from Gaza' proved Al Sharif, one of Al Jazeera's most recognisable faces in the devastated Palestinian enclave, was 'head of a Hamas terrorist cell' posing as a journalist. The network and journalists' groups have denied the accusations. Independently verifiable evidence of Al Sharif's purported involvement with the militant group has yet to materialise. The strike on the journalists' tent near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza city fits into a pattern of lethal force being used by Israel against non-combatants whom it claims to be 'terrorists'. Yet after such attacks, corroborating evidence is rarely presented. Attacks that prove to be too egregious, provoking international outrage, are normally followed by dissembling and obfuscation – usually an investigation that is carried out by Israel itself and often inconclusive. In April of last year, an international investigation revealed that Israel failed to provide evidence to support damaging allegations that staff at UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, had links to militant groups. Last month, the organisation said it had repeatedly requested from the Israeli government 'information and evidence to substantiate the accusations made against UNRWA'. According to the UN agency, no answer has been forthcoming. UNRWA is a body that has suffered nearly 350 casualties from its staff since Israeli forces launched their latest campaign in Gaza, underlining the dangers that accompany Israeli accusations of involvement with armed groups. It is arguable that the country, which often stresses its bone fides as a democratic state of laws, is abandoning the responsibilities that come with membership of the international community Israel's ruling political and military establishment may not care that killings characterised by a cavalier attitude towards evidence and justification further undermine the reputation of their country. But such attacks add more urgency to growing international calls for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks. When coupled with repeated examples of Israeli forces crossing red lines – troops tying Palestinian detainees to military jeeps or posting footage of themselves destroying civilian homes and infrastructure – it is arguable that the country is abandoning the responsibilities that come with membership of the international community. Since Israeli forces invaded Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks nearly two years ago, the list of dead non-combatants has continued to grow. Doctors and paramedics have joined the hundreds of local journalists and UN staff killed – all in addition to the tens of thousands of civilians killed in Israeli strikes or by accompanying injury, starvation and disease. Responsible governments must prove that those they target in wartime posed an armed threat. As the tragedy of Gaza grinds on, the conclusion to be drawn from Sunday's incident is that Israel's government is operating with increasingly less legal or moral restraints.

Condemnation of Israel's killing of Gaza journalists, and Syrian 'field execution'
Condemnation of Israel's killing of Gaza journalists, and Syrian 'field execution'

The National

timean hour ago

  • The National

Condemnation of Israel's killing of Gaza journalists, and Syrian 'field execution'

The international community condemns Israel's killing of a group of journalists, including Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, in Gaza. Footage of an execution in Sweida sparks outrage. Iran has rejected inspections by the UN's nuclear watchdog. On today's episode of Trending Middle East: Fury as Israel admits deliberately killing Al Jazeera journalists 'The message will not stop': Palestinian reporters defiant after Israel kills six journalists Surveillance footage shows execution of volunteer by security forces inside Sweida hospital Iran rejects inspections ahead of IAEA visit This episode features Nada Homsi, Lebanon correspondent. Editor's note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

UN chief condemns Israeli killing of six journalists in Gaza
UN chief condemns Israeli killing of six journalists in Gaza

Al Etihad

time7 hours ago

  • Al Etihad

UN chief condemns Israeli killing of six journalists in Gaza

12 Aug 2025 00:42 NEW YORK (WAM)UN Chief Antonio Guterres has condemned the killing of six Palestinian journalists in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Sunday, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN chief, on Monday."These latest killings highlight the extreme risks journalists continue to face when covering this ongoing war," Dujarric secretary-general called for an independent and impartial investigation into these killings, he least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began, said the secretary-general underscored that journalists and media workers must be respected and protected and allowed to carry out their work free from intimidation or harm, Dujarric another front, Dujarric announced that the international organisation and its partners had gathered food supplies and hygiene kits at the Karem Abu Salem crossing. These were unloaded directly from the trucks before reaching their designated destinations due to the widespread desperation in stated, 'People need a reliable lifeline to survive, not just drops of aid.'He confirmed that aid workers brought fuel from the crossing yesterday, explaining that Israeli authorities are allowing an average of about 150,000 liters of fuel per day. He considered this amount to be far below the minimum required to support lifesaving operations for the people of added that more than half of the Palestinian Red Crescent's ambulances have stopped working throughout Gaza due to a shortage of fuel and spare parts, which are prohibited from entering the Strip.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store