ISTANBUL
A British activist who took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla that attempted to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip said participants put their “bodies on the line” to try to reach Gaza and bring aid to starving people there.
Aaron White, speaking to Anadolu at Istanbul Airport after being returned to Türkiye, said the flotilla’s aim was to deliver humanitarian aid and raise awareness.
“We intended to actually get to Gaza, despite the fact that people thought this was some sort of gesture, like a gesture of goodwill. We all put our bodies on the line to try to sail, literally, to Gaza and Israel has no right to intercept and forcefully take us and remove us while in international waters,” he said.
“Israel believes they own everything…they say that they believe they are God's chosen people. My challenge to that is I accept that they are the enemies of God,” he said.
“If we can't stop the Zionist machine in the heart of Palestine, then we're not going to be able to free oppressed people anywhere around the world,” he added.
He also warned of mounting suffering in Gaza.
“There's children waiting in Gaza and boys, girls, men and women, people -- even animals -- being starved.”
Israeli naval forces attacked and seized vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla beginning Wednesday and detained more than 470 activists from over 50 countries.
The flotilla had been attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade of the enclave.
Israel has maintained the blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed more than 67,100 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.