Israel have, for the second time in as many days, unleashed another attack on the Sumud Flotilla bound for Gaza. This time, the Alma was the boat in the fleet attacked by a drone. In a statement the group said:

The boat, sailing under the British flag, sustained fire damage on its top deck. The fire has since been extinguished, and all passengers and crew are safe. An investigation is currently underway and when more information is available it will be released immediately.

This marks the second such attack in two days. These repeat attacks come during intensified Israeli aggression on Palestinians in Gaza, and are an orchestrated attempt to distract and derail our mission.

The group made it clear that despite the attacks, they will continue on their way to Gaza:

The Global Sumud Flotilla continues undeterred. Our peaceful voyage to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza and stand in unwavering solidarity with its people presses forward with determination and resolve.

Sumud Flotilla sails on

Saif Abukshek, a member of the flotilla’s steering committee, told Al Jazeera:

This genocidal government has been bombing Palestinians for 78 years. They have been committing genocide for 22 months, and Palestinians are still able to wake up every day looking for a better day.

If we are inspired by the resilience of such people, how can we give up by just two incidents that we have faced?

We are determined to continue within our mobilisation.

And, as Al Jazeera’s Marium Ali reported, Israel has a long history of intercepting and attacking vessels trying to break their siege of Gaza. Ali wrote:

Since 2010, all flotillas attempting to break the Gaza blockade have been intercepted or attacked by Israel in international waters.

Incendiary device

A group of over 30 independent human rights experts have demanded the full protection of the Sumud Flotilla. In a collective statement, the group said:

Any attempt to block the flotilla would constitute a grave violation of international law and humanitarian principles.

Importantly, the group also acknowledged that the very necessity of the flotilla is a testament to the failure of the international community to end Israel’s siege:

Civil society activists would not be compelled to risk their lives at sea if the General Assembly or Security Council had taken decisive action to ensure safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

As they have warned many, many times before the group said:

States must act now or risk complicity in Israel’s grave violations of Palestinians’ rights.

The problem is not one of scarcity or logistics. It is an Israeli policy to starve Palestinians and restrict necessities vital to life:

States must make clear that they will not tolerate Israel blocking humanitarian aid to a population facing starvation and genocide. They must press Israel to immediately lift its suffocating blockade and allow aid to be delivered through all crossings into Gaza.

Impunity

As Ali explained, Israel has a long history of carrying out a siege and blockade of Gaza. And, historically speaking, Israel have defended their starvation of Palestinians with outrageous attacks on vessels. It is unlikely that the latest drone strikes on the Sumud Flotilla will be the last. However, unlike international states who have barely managed to condemn genocidal Israel, never mind stop them, this time Israel are faced with an international group of civilians.

Those civilians have refused to be drawn into Zionist propaganda, and continue undeterred with their mission to do what the most powerful governments refuse: break the siege.

Featured image via YouTube screenshot/Guardian News

By Maryam Jameela

This post was originally published on Canary.