KUALA LUMPUR: The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has condemned Israel’s recent demand for humanitarian vessels to dock at Ashkelon Port as a continuation of its blockade tactics against Gaza.
The organisation stated that this request represents a deliberate attempt to obstruct aid delivery while delegitimising those challenging Israel’s unlawful restrictions.
“Since May 2025, after lifting its ‘total blockade’, Israel has only permitted an average of 70 trucks per day into Gaza,” the GSF revealed in a statement today.
It highlighted the stark contrast with United Nations agencies’ estimation that between 500 and 600 trucks are required daily to meet basic needs.
The GSF pointed to Israel’s documented history of intercepting vessels and restricting aid convoys as evidence of its true intentions.
It noted that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both condemned these practices as violations of international law.
“Israel’s rhetoric against the GSF sets the stage for further escalation,” the statement warned.
The organisation expressed concern that characterising peaceful humanitarian missions as illegal creates a pretext for violence against civilians.
“Amnesty has already warned that such threats ‘flout international law’ and place lives at risk,” the GSF emphasised.
It urged the international community to recognise these demands as extensions of a blockade that constitutes collective punishment.
The statement described the situation as part of the ongoing genocide in Gaza according to independent UN investigators.
The GSF called on governments and UN agencies to ensure safe passage for aid workers and medical facilities.
It demanded that international humanitarian law be upheld by rejecting Israel’s siege and supporting direct aid delivery to Gaza.
The organisation also pressed for decisive action to end the ongoing genocide in the region.
“Anything less risks entrenching a system of forced starvation, deprivation and collective punishment that is costing thousands of Palestinian lives,” it added.
The GSF’s Mediterranean journey carrying food and medicine is scheduled to reach Gaza waters by month’s end.
This international coalition brings together participants from Europe, Asia, South Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.
The flotilla hopes to draw global governmental attention to pressure Israel to cease hostilities and allow humanitarian access. – Bernama