ISTANBUL

Some 130 public figures urged France and Belgium to ensure diplomatic and consular protection for the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in a joint statement issued on Saturday.

"We demand protection for the flotilla and call on the governments of Emmanuel Macron and Bart De Wever to provide diplomatic and consular protection for the boats carrying French and Belgian nationals," public figures said.

Published by the French daily Nouvel Obs, the joint statement was signed by 130 figures, among them Franco-Algerian DJ Snake, Belgian singer Angele, and French content creator Lena Mahfouf.

"We call for immediate action by the French and Belgian states to guarantee humanitarian access to Gaza and to put an end to the genocide of the Palestinian people," signatories also demanded.

They also noted that 16 countries, including Spain and Ireland, have granted diplomatic protection to their nationals on the flotilla, while France and Belgium "remain completely silent" despite international law obliging states to protect civilians in conflict zones and ensure humanitarian aid.

"The action of the Global Sumud Flotilla and Thousand Madleen to Gaza is legal and non-violent and must not be subject to any attack or obstruction. Their safety must be guaranteed until they arrive at their destination, with international coordination among the countries represented," the signatories underscored.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of about 50 ships, set sail earlier this month to break Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, to the Gaza Strip.

Since March 2, Israel has fully closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking food and aid convoys and deepening famine conditions in the enclave. Only limited supplies are sporadically allowed in, and many are looted by armed groups that Gaza authorities accuse Israel of protecting.

Israel, as the occupying power, has a record of intercepting ships headed to Gaza, seizing vessels, and deporting activists. Critics describe such actions as piracy.

The Israeli army has killed nearly 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.