Flotilla in Risk Zone Tonight, Navy Ship to Leave

Jerusalem: The Global Sumud Flotilla bringing aid to Gaza will enter the Israeli risk zone Tuesday night and an Italian Navy ship which has been escorting it will leave the convoy, Flotilla members said Tuesday dismissing claims of links to Hamas as propaganda.

According to Ansa News Agency, the Flotilla is currently about 200 miles off the coast of Gaza. Tony La Piccirella, one of the Italians aboard the Flotilla, stated, “Tonight, the Navy ship Alpino will stop and turn back.” He added that the Flotilla would enter the interception zone and continue its journey, highlighting that there is no fixed limit to the naval blockade, which persists as long as other states permit Israel to maintain it. La Piccirella emphasized the Flotilla’s determination to proceed, criticizing a recent peace proposal involving the US as a misleading offer for unconditional surrender.

The proposal, unveiled by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggested placing Gaza under an international protectorate led by Trump and Tony Blair. The plan warned that if Hamas did not accept it, Israel would aim to eliminate the militants controlling the Strip.

Italian spokesperson for the Flotilla, Maria Elena Delia, dismissed Israeli documents that allegedly showed a connection between the mission and Hamas as mere propaganda. Delia noted, “The documents shown by Israel do not prove Hamas’s financing or control of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Rather, they repeat a worrying pattern already seen in 2010 with the Mavi Marmara. We are a civilian and humanitarian mission, under the watchful eye of Europe and the world.” She urged that the documents should be submitted to independent bodies for verification, asserting that until that happens, the allegations remain mere propaganda.