Irish actor Liam Cunningham sailing with Gaza-bound flotilla, calls blockade ‘medieval siege’

BARCELONA, SPAIN/ISTANBUL

Irish actor Liam Cunningham, who has joined an international flotilla aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge the blockade, called Israel’s siege “medieval” and urged the world to speak out.

Cunningham, best known for his role in the TV series Game of Thrones, is part of the Global Sumud Flotilla – a civilian mission involving more than 300 people from over 44 countries – which originally departed from Barcelona on Sunday in a bid to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian supplies.

"I'm a human being and I don't want to see human beings being treated the way the Palestinians are treated," he told Anadolu before the flotilla set sail.

The actor, who also appeared in the films Titanic, The Mummy and The Irishman, compared Israel’s blockade to Britain’s historical oppression in Ireland.

"The killing at the moment is much more efficient, to use that horrific word,” he said. “This is an attempt to break the blockade, break this medieval siege. It's like something from 500 years ago in a castle.”

‘This is humanitarian aid’

Cunningham also denounced what he described as the political cowardice surrounding Gaza.

"It's like I've landed in some weird, strange world that I don't recognize and the cowardice of politicians makes me nauseous,” he said.

He explained that the flotilla heading to Gaza – with more than 20 ships departing from Barcelona and plans to meet up with additional vessels in Italy and Tunisia – was considerably larger than expected.

Although there are differing opinions about the mission, he said the vessels are carrying only humanitarian supplies.

“This is humanitarian aid, medical aid and baby formula. I think there's some prosthetic limbs for children, and it's a tiny amount of what Gaza needs,” he said.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, Spanish actor Eduardo Fernandez, and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau are also among those participating in the mission.

The international aid flotilla departed Sunday from Barcelona. However, due to strong winds, it returned to port on Monday. Organizers say it will delay departure until unsafe weather conditions pass.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, named after the Arabic word for “steadfastness,” includes doctors, journalists, artists and politicians among its passengers.