“The law is clear: any attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla or its civilians is a clear and blatant violation of international law,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “The United States has an obligation to protect its citizens from foreign attack.” The lawmakers further urged the administration to “do everything in your power to ensure the safety of the flotilla and its unarmed, civilian passengers” and to address “the issue at the root of the voyage.”
The flotilla, which launched in August and departed from Spain on September 1, consists of 52 small boats carrying volunteers from more than 40 countries, including the United States. Among its participants are high-profile activists such as Greta Thunberg. Organizers say the ships are filled with urgently needed supplies for Gaza, which has been under blockade for nearly two decades.
Irish writer Naoise Dolan, who is on one of the boats, described the scale of the effort. She wrote that her ship is “loaded with medicine, baby formula, prosthetic limbs for the many amputees that Israeli bullets have created.” According to Dolan, “Every available crevice of the boat has been crammed with emergency supplies for Palestinians.”
The lawmakers’ letter pointed to a series of incidents in recent weeks. The flotilla has “already been attacked at least three times, causing explosions, fire, and severe damage,” they wrote. U.S. Ambassador and Special Envoy Tom Barrack reportedly attributed two of those attacks to Israel. Organizers and passengers also report “communications jamming, daily harassment and surveillance from the skies, and increasingly threatening rhetoric from Israeli government officials.”
International concerns escalated after activists said they were attacked by drones near Greece, damaging some vessels though causing no injuries. In response, Spain and Italy announced they would send navy ships to the area. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated: “The government of Spain insists that international law be respected and that the right of our citizens should be respected to sail through the Mediterranean in safe conditions.”
Humanitarian groups and United Nations officials have condemned the siege of Gaza as a violation of international law. “The deliberate obstruction of food, water, medicine, shelter and other relief – compounded by deadly attacks on civilians, including women and children, gathering at aid distribution points, and repeated forced displacement – has transformed hunger into a weapon of war,” a coalition of UN experts said earlier this month. The blockade has created famine conditions that have already killed more than 360 Palestinians, including 130 children, according to the lawmakers’ letter.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, one of the organizations involved, said a new boat will depart on October 1 carrying international journalists and medical professionals “to break through Israel’s near-total blockade on international reporting and medical access to the besieged territory.”
Israel has intercepted every flotilla attempting to reach Gaza since the blockade began. In July, Israeli forces raided the Handala flotilla and detained volunteers, including American labor leader Chris Smalls. According to the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Smalls, the only Black person on the ship, was “the only activist subjected to that level of violence” when seven prison guards choked and kicked him upon arrival in custody.
The Israeli government has dismissed the flotilla as a political maneuver. In a statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said: “This flotilla, organized by Hamas, is intended to serve Hamas. Israel will not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow the breach of a lawful naval blockade. If the flotilla participants’ genuine wish is to deliver humanitarian aid rather than serve Hamas, Israel calls on the vessels to dock at the Ashkelon Marina and unload the aid there, from where it will be transferred promptly in a coordinated manner to the Gaza Strip. Israel urges the participants not to break the law and to accept Israel’s proposal for a peaceful transfer of any aid they might have.”
Despite those assurances, flotilla participants and their supporters argue that direct delivery is essential, citing Israel’s history of restricting aid into Gaza. Humanitarian cargo on the ships includes food, medicine, and specialized supplies such as prosthetic limbs.
Tlaib’s letter was co-signed by eighteen Democratic colleagues, including Reps. Greg Casar of Texas, Nydia Velázquez of New York, Jesús García of Illinois, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Delia Ramirez of Illinois, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, Al Green of Texas, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey. A separate letter from Senate Democrats, signed by Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, similarly pressed the administration to take action.
“The Global Sumud Flotilla is currently sailing across the Mediterranean Sea to bring vital humanitarian aid to Gaza, but has reportedly faced attacks by drones and other hostile actions,” the senators wrote. “U.S. citizens, including residents of Maryland, Massachusetts, and Oregon, are aboard these ships. Under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, they warrant protection.”
Jewish Voice for Peace praised the initiative, thanking lawmakers for “demanding safe passage for the Global Sumud Flotilla that is delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians, and calling for an end to the Israeli government’s genocide and blockade in Gaza.”
With boats carrying American citizens now under reported threat, Democrats are pressing the administration to clarify how the U.S. will respond if Israel continues to target the flotilla. “We call on you to deter any further hostile actions against the flotilla and ensure the successful completion of its humanitarian mission,” the lawmakers wrote.
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