clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Al-Gharbi: Israel's threat against the flotilla 'herald a crime'

June 24, 2015 at 3:28 pm

A member of the international coalition to break the siege on Gaza criticised the threat made by Israel that it would prevent the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla III, which is expected to set sail within hours, from reaching Gaza.

Anouar Al-Gharbi, a former foreign affairs adviser to the president of Tunisia, stressed that such threats reflect Israel’s plans to commit a crime by preventing peaceful solidarity activists from doing their humanitarian duty towards the besieged people of Gaza.

In his remarks to Quds Press, Al-Gharbi highlighted the significance of the Israeli threats against the Freedom Flotilla, saying that such threats indicate Tel Aviv is “ready to commit a crime against international law, which guarantees freedom of movement and human solidarity.”

Al-Gharbi called on “the international community and human rights organisations to shoulder their responsibilities of protecting the flotilla and those taking part in it, and preventing the Israeli occupation from continuing to violate international laws related to the protection of the free movement of civilians and reaching besieged Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

Israel has announced that its army will not allow the arrival of the Gaza-bound flotilla which is intended to be launched from Greece, adding that instructions have been issued to the concerned authorities to be prepared to stop the convoy and prevent it from entering Israeli territorial waters.