‘After joining the deadly 2010 Gaza flotilla, I’m now crusing once more. I’m apprehensive Israel will kill us’ | EUROtoday
Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.
A girl onboard the Gaza assist flotilla has mentioned activists must “accept they might die” as their ship nears the coast of the war-torn territory.
Ewa Jasiewicz is aboard one in every of 44 boats within the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is delivering assist to the war-torn territory. She is crusing the treacherous journey 15 years after witnessing Israeli forces kill 9 of her fellow activists throughout a raid on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in 2010.
After coming into the ‘high-risk zone’ on Tuesday night time, activists mentioned the flotilla was “aggressively circled” by an Israeli warship which “steered dangerously close” to the vessels. The IDF has not commented on the incident.
“You just have to accept that you might die,” Ms Jasiewicz, a twin British-Polish nationwide, advised The Independent. “Everyone on the flotilla is fully informed, fully aware of the risks that they’re taking. But it’s worth it. I think solidarity and prevention of genocide, and the freedom of the Palestinian people, and collective liberation, demands this kind of action.”
Around 500 individuals from greater than 40 international locations – together with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg – are onboard the fleet, which is anticipated to return into contact with Israeli forces within the coming days.
Israeli authorities have characterised the Global Sumud Flotilla as a publicity stunt, with the Foreign Ministry describing it as a “jihadist initiative serving the terror group’s [Hamas] agenda”. Activists have rejected these claims.
The assist ship has been escorted by navy ships from Spain and Italy throughout its journey and was at one level being circled by drones from Turkey because it approached Gaza – though Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has since referred to as on the flotilla to “stop now”.
One of the flotilla’s goals is to ship assist to Palestinians in Gaza, the place famine has gripped areas of the strip following repeated Israeli blockades which have drawn worldwide condemnation.
Israel says the blockades have been mandatory so as to forestall Hamas seizing assist and argues that they’re authorized beneath worldwide legislation. It has beforehand mentioned it would use any means mandatory to stop the flotilla from reaching Gaza’s coast.
Ms Jasiewicz mentioned that being killed is what the activists onboard the ship worry probably the most. “Being severely injured, having life changing injuries, that would be really bad.”
Last week, the Global Sumud Flotilla mentioned a number of of its boats have been focused by Israeli drones whereas close to the Greek island of Crete. Activists claimed to have heard 13 explosions and the sound of as much as 16 drones. Their vessels have been additionally allegedly sprayed with unidentified chemical compounds, sound bombs and explosive flares whereas their communications have been jammed.
Israel didn’t reply to the allegations.
Confrontation with Israeli forces, for Ms Jasiewicz, is just not a brand new expertise. “I’ve witnessed loads of violence from the IDF [Israeli military] before, so I’m not too worried about PTSD, because I’ve already got it. Really, how much worse it can get?”
In 2010, she was a part of a fleet of six civilian ships which Israeli troops raided in lethal scenes on 31 May, with 9 activists killed, 30 injured and 10 Israeli troops wounded. Ms Jasiewicz heard the Israeli gunfire which her colleagues on a special vessel, with a tenth later dying of his accidents in hospital.
The actual sequence of occasions was closely disputed afterwards. The Israeli army mentioned it had been attacked by armed activists, earlier than the Israeli Supreme Court discovered that the actions of the Navy within the raid was authorized beneath worldwide legislation.
Ms Jasiewicz mentioned her boat, the Sumudwas confronted by “baclava wearing, gun-toting, hyped up commandos” who “took us over in a very violent way”. Activists have been “attempting to repel [the navy] with throwing rubbish and hosing them”, she mentioned, however this was “nothing can be seen as a risk to the life of heavily armed commandos”.
“They sprayed the boat and us with rubber bullets, and one of our team was hit in the face and was bleeding. They tasered an Australian journalist. They shouted at us, one of them said to me ‘shut the f*** up you f***ing b**** or I’ll kill you’.
“Two activists had bags put over their heads,” Ms Jasiewicz continued. “I had my arms tied behind my back. It was not a good experience, it was scary, being on a vessel that was moving.”
Once positioned in jail, she alleged they have been “treated in quite a humiliating way at all times, laughing at us, soldiers filming us on their phones”.
A report by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) discovered that no less than six of the deaths have been “in a manner consistent with an extra-legal, arbitrary and summary execution”.
Despite their considerations in regards to the future, Ms Jasiewicz mentioned the temper on the Global Sumud Flotilla stays resilient. She is travelling on the All In vessel with six others from the UK, Algeria, France, Switzerland and Italy.
“We’re all determined. We’re all resolute. We are expecting an interception rather than an attack, because this is what we’ve been reading in the media. We’ve heard that the Israel wants to bring a prison ship to our flotilla and commandeer every boat, and then put us into this prison ship and then deport us.”
Meanwhile, in London, Camden Friends of Palestine has written to Sir Keir Starmer to demand that he assure the protection of Ms Jasiewicz – who’s one in every of his constituents.
Ms Jasiewicz, one in every of a number of Britons onboard the flotilla, was scathing in her criticism of the prime minister.
“I’m not just baffled, I’m disgusted as well. So I fully expect my MP to intervene on my behalf and to support civilian efforts to break the siege on Gaza.”
The UK overseas workplace is in contact with the members of the family of British nationals on the Global Sumud Flotilla.
The Israeli army didn’t reply to a request for remark by The Independent.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaza-flotilla-israel-palestine-hamas-greta-thunberg-ewa-jasiewicz-b2836671.html