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Middle East Eye
an hour ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Pep Guardiola says killing of children in Gaza 'hurts my whole body'
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has spoken out against Israel's war on Gaza, saying that the killing of children was 'so painful'. He made the comments on Monday while receiving an honorary degree from the University of Manchester for his contribution to the city in northern England. Guardiola said that he was "deeply troubled" by images he had seen "in Ukraine, in Sudan and in Palestine, in Gaza". "We see the horrors of thousands and thousands of innocent children, innocent mothers and fathers, innocent entire families, suffering, starving, being killed." He said that despite this, many leaders "don't consider the inequality". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "It's so painful what we see in Gaza. It hurts my whole body. And let me be clear, it's not about ideology. It's not about 'I'm right', or 'you're wrong'. Come on. It's just about the love of life, about the care of your neighbour,' the football manager went on. He added that when people see boys and girls, around four years old, 'being killed at the hospital because it's not a hospital any more', they might deem it 'not our business'. 'We can think that it's not our business, but be careful. The next one will be ours. The next four-, five-year-old kids will be ours.' He said that when he looks at his own three children now, since the beginning of the war in Gaza, he feels 'so scared'. Guardiola has won six Premier League titles as manager of Manchester City, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport. He was presented with the honorary doctorate by the University of Manchester's chancellor, Nazir Afzal, at Whitworth Hall. ⚡️JUST IN: Pep Guardiola, while receiving an honorary degree from the University of Manchester, gave a powerful speech about Gaza: "It is so painful what we see in Gaza, it hurts all my is not about ideology but the love of is about refusing to be silent or… — Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) June 9, 2025 On what people can do to make a difference in relation to the war in Gaza, Guardiola shared a story. 'There is a story I remind you of. A forest is on fire. All the animals live, terrified, helpless. But a small bird flies back and forth… carrying drops of water in its little beak. 'A snake laughs and asks: 'Why bro? You will never put the fire out,'' the 54-year-old said. 'The bird replies, yes, I know it… I'm just doing my part.' Guardiola said that the bird knew it couldn't stop the fire, but 'it refused to do nothing'. 'In a world that often tells us we are too small to make a difference, that story reminds me the power of one is not about the scale. It's about choice, about showing up, about refusing to be silent or still when it matters most.' His comments came just a day after Israeli forces intercepted a UK-flagged aid vessel aiming to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip. The boat's 12-person crew included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid - including rice and baby formula - to Gaza and to raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there. According to Palestinian health and government officials, since October 2023, at least 54,880 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, of whom 28,000 are women and girls. Among those killed, at least 1,400 are health sector workers, over 300 UN aid workers, and more than 220 journalists.
The National
an hour ago
- Politics
- The National
David Lammy urged to intervene as Madleen seized by Israel
Israel has said it has begun to deport 12 activists whose Gaza-bound aid boat was seized in the Mediterranean on Monday. Israel's Foreign Ministry shared a photo of crew member Greta Thunberg on a plane, saying that she was heading for France before continuing to Sweden. The Madleen was also carrying French member of the European Parliament, Rima Hassan. Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing Thunberg and the other activists, said the Swede, two other campaigners, and a journalist had agreed to be deported, but other activists who refused deportation were being held in detention, with their case set to be heard by Israeli authorities. READ MORE: Freedom Flotilla gives statement as Israel 'illegally seizes' Madleen Apsana Begum, who was suspended from Labour after she voted against keeping the two-child benefit cap last year, has written David Lammy saying it is a "matter of urgency" that the UK upholds its responsibilities to protect UK-flagged ships. She added the UK must fulfil its obligations under international law and protect those on-board to prevent "unlawful interference, such as threats or use of force by a foreign power". Her letter said: "A UNHRC report into Israel's interception of a similar aid vessel in 2010 set out evidence of 'wilful killing' and an 'unacceptable level of brutality', concluding that a 'serious of violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law were committed by Israeli forces during the interception of the flotilla and during the detention of passengers in Israel prior to deportation'. (Image: House of Commons) "It was particularly disturbing that in 2010, nine of those on board the ship were killed, and 30 more were wounded." She went on: "I urge you as Foreign Secretary to take immediate action to ensure that Israel, the UK's ally, ceases any hostility towards this UK unarmed civilian vessel, acts in accordance with its international obligations and ensures the human rights and safety of everyone on board." Israeli naval forces seized the boat early on Monday about 125 miles off Gaza's coast. It had been in international waters sailing under a UK red ensign, meaning it was under UK jurisdiction. After being illegally seized, the boat arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod on Monday evening. The activists were attempting to deliver a "symbolic" amount of aid to Gaza in defiance of Israel's naval blockade to highlight the humanitarian crisis there. READ MORE: 'Good case' Israel breached international law with Madleen seizure Israel's Foreign Ministry tried to portray the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying on social media that 'the 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel'. Sabine Haddad, a spokesperson for Israel's Interior Ministry, said the activists who were being deported on Tuesday had waived their right to appear before a judge. Those who did not will face one and will be held for 96 hours before being deported. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that one of the detained French activists signed an expulsion order and will leave Israel on Tuesday for France. The other five refused. He said all the activists received consular visits. Adalah said that Israel had 'no legal authority' to take over the ship because the group said it was in international waters and it was headed not to Israel but to the 'territorial waters of the state of Palestine'. Amnesty International said Israel was flouting international law with the naval raid. Heidi Matthews, a professor specialising in international criminal law at York University in Toronto, Canada, told The National that as the naval blockade on Gaza is 'unlawful', there are several points of law that the Israeli forces have breached by capturing the Madleen. As well as France and Sweden, citizens of Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey were on board the Madleen. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the activist group operating the yacht, said in a statement on Monday night that it expected any of the passengers who refused the deportation orders to be transferred to Ramle prison, near Tel Aviv. The FFC said the Madleen was carrying baby formula, food, medicine. Israel says its blockade on Gaza is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas fighters there. On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel would act against any attempt to breach the blockade. The FFC has argued that the sea blockade is illegal, characterising Katz's statement as an example of Israel threatening the unlawful use of force against civilians and "attempting to justify that violence with smears". The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Scots climate activist speaks on capture of Gaza aid boat
He said: 'A lot of my friends are involved with the flotilla, so I came to support them. I wanted to be there physically and to obviously help with logistics and anything I could. 'The aid that I was primarily helping with was from locals in Catania, which was incredibly moving. We had so much donated from the locals, more than we could fit in the boat, so that was donated to the local refugee shelter.' Dylan Hamilton, pictured at COP28. (Image: Dylan Hamilton) Dylan described his emotions as the UK-flagged yacht left the safety of Sicily and set out across the Mediterranean. He said: 'We followed the boat out of the harbour. But then obviously we came back and it was quite an odd feeling. 'It was quite a difficult week because you know something is going to happen, you know, roughly when it will happen, but you don't know what.' Early on Monday morning, members of the Israeli military boarded the vessel, detaining 12 passengers including well-known climate activist Greta Thunberg. The campaigners were taken to Ashdod Port in Israel, where they were shown video footage of the October 7th Hamas terror attacks, which killed around 1200 Israelis. 'The raid happened a bit earlier than I expected,' Dylan said. 'They were still in international waters, around 150 miles from Gaza. 'They've been in touch with lawyers in Israel who support the cause but we didn't hear anything from them for 18 hours.' Dylan added: 'It's been an incredibly difficult experience. I'm very, very worried that the people that I love are in custody with a genocidal army, but then that is a daily experience for Palestinians. 'They don't get to sit like me at home, completely safe and worry about it. They worry about their families while they wait for another evacuation order as the bombs fall around them.' Greta Thunberg was among 12 activists who were detained. (Image: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs/X) Another boat organised by the 'Freedom Flotilla Coalition', dubbed the 'Conscience', was alleged attacked by drones in international waters off the coast of Malta last month. Dylan believes the presence of high-profile campaigners prevented the Madleen from suffering a similar fate. 'It has obviously been the boat's protection because when they had a media blackout, they got bombed before they ever left. And whereas this time we've had all of this media and international attention, and as far as we know, nobody's been hurt on the boat.' In a post on X early Tuesday morning, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the activists were in the process of being deported. The post read: 'The passengers of the 'Selfie Yacht' arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries. Some of the 'Selfie Yacht' passengers are expected to leave within the next few hours. 'Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorize their deportation. Consuls from the passengers' home countries met them at the airport.' Read more: Palestine demo held over 'unlawful' detention of activists on UK-flagged yacht 'Children are seeing corpses in the street': Aid worker describes Gaza devastation Glasgow Film Theatre praised by pro-Israel lobby group over BDS vote Dylan said he hopes the widespread media attention will help people understand what people in Palestine are experiencing. He told The Herald: 'I think this has moved people because it is familiar faces that they know, especially Greta, but ultimately I hope that that translates into a deeper understanding of what Palestinians have gone through. 'The point of the mission was to feed Palestinians and try and ensure that we can do as much as we can to limit the starvation. But ultimately the key goal is to free Palestine. 'This should never have been a possible position, one country should not be able to do this to another and that's the central focus.'
Scotsman
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Courage on the seas, silence on our shores over Gaza
Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater In the early hours of yesterday morning, the world witnessed yet another brazen violation of international law by the Israeli government. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Madleen, a UK-flagged humanitarian aid vessel, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters while en route to Gaza. Aboard were 12 peace activists, including high-profile figures such as climate activist Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham and French MEP Rima Hassan. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This ship was not a threat, Israel knew that before it had even left port. It carried no weapons, only vital humanitarian supplies - food, water and medicine for the besieged people of Gaza. Greta Thunberg with part of the crew of the ship Madleen Yet, despite the clear protections of international maritime law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Israeli forces boarded and seized the vessel in a violent, nighttime raid. Let us be clear, this was not just an attack on a ship. It was an attack on humanitarian principles, on international law and on the right of civilians to live free from siege and starvation. It was an attempt to silence the growing global demand for justice and dignity for Palestinians. Scotland and indeed the UK, cannot look away. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The presence of global figures like Thunberg and Cunningham on the Madleen highlights the international scale of concern over the continued blockade of Gaza and is putting the strongest of spotlights on Israel's actions facilitating arguably the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. We must not allow the UK Government's silence to imply consent. Successive governments have remained complicit in the face of clear war crimes, continuing to arm and support the Israeli regime while turning their backs on the victims of its actions. With a UK vessel now seized and its passengers detained, the Labour government's refusal to speak out is both shameful and dangerous. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We cannot claim to stand for peace, human rights and the rule of law while funding, arming and enabling a regime that so flagrantly violates all three. We must demand action. The blockade of Gaza must end. The UK must halt all arms sales to Israel, suspend military cooperation and stand on the side of humanity. The Madleen's mission was to shine a light on the suffering of Gaza and the complicity of the international community in its ongoing tragedy. That light is now brighter than ever. What happens next will show whether the world is willing to act or merely watch. Lorna Slater, Scottish Green party co-leader
The Herald Scotland
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Gaza demo in Glasgow after Greta Thunberg's aid boat seized
The demonstration was held after the Israeli Defence Force intercepted a sailboat bound for Gaza early Monday morning. Part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the 'Madleen' set out from Sicily on June 1st, and was travelling in international waters when it was boarded by the Israeli military. A number of notable campaigners were abroad the UK-flagged yatch, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. One protestor told The Herald: "It's a very dangerous escalation politically to allow that sort of thing to happen, and not have any condemnation. "It's important to show that the people of Scotland do not agree with these decisions. "We don't think the government should be funding warfare instead of welfare." Climate activist Greta Thunberg is one of 12 detained campaigners. (Image: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs/X) In a post on X Monday morning, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the protestors had been detained, writing: 'The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries. 'While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity — and which included less than a single truckload of aid — more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks.' The Israeli government has said that the detained activists will be forced to watch graphic footage of the October 7th attacks, in which 1200 Israelis were killed by terrorist organisation Hamas. 'Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen,' said Huwaida Arraf, a human rights lawyer and Freedom Flotilla organizer. 'This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ's binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade—their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately.' Israel has enforced an air, land, and sea blockade of Gaza for the last eighteen years. In 2010, six civilian ships containing humanitarian aid for the enclave were intercepted by Israeli commandos in international waters. A scuffle broke out and ten activists were killed, leading to international outrage.
