0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
%
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.
In recent days, Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire at aid distribution points. In Rafah, eight civilians were killed near one such site. In Khan Younis, drone strikes on tent camps killed seven people. The bombardment of Jabalia has triggered new waves of displacement.
In the occupied West Bank, raids continue. In the town of ar-Ram, one person was shot and wounded. Near Ramallah and Jericho, at least five people were detained.
According to United Nations data, 1.95 million people in Gaza now face acute food shortages. The risk of mass starvation is growing.
Since October 7, 2023, the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 54,000.
Security Policy Expert Burak Yıldırım talked about the Madleen ship and Israeli policies to Scrolli. He said, “Israel’s arguments on this issue are based entirely on security concerns. They claim that ships not passing through Israeli control or receiving approval from the authorities, especially Hamas and Islamic Jihad, can carry weapons and ammunition, regardless of their declared purpose.”
Yıldırım reminded of Blue Marmara, and “To support this claim, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in the 2011 Mavi Marmara report that ‘weapon-like materials’ had been detected. Israel has blockaded Gaza since 2007; however, the strongest justification for the blockade, Hamas’s rocket attacks, began in 2009. Israel is interpreting UN Security Council Resolution 1860 unilaterally, ignoring the resolution's other components” he said.
He talked about the main visible goal of this blockade, and highlighted that “The destruction of all methods of resistance in Gaza. Regardless of Hamas's or its counterparts' actions, Israel does not want a Palestinian state to exist and aims to thin the Palestinian population in the region. Ultimately, Israel's blockade is a form of collective punishment that does not discriminate between the guilty and the innocent, and it cannot be justified under any legal framework.”
Referring to Israel's efforts to whitewash itself, Yıldırım said: “Israel is trying to justify its actions and attacks by citing Article 51 of the UN Charter and the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea. Article 51 is cited as justification for Israel's right to self-defense, and the San Remo Guide is cited as justification for controlling the cargo of neutral ships in the event of war and mobilization.”
Yıldırım also spoke about counter arguments, “However, Israel ignores the fact that these rights are established under certain conditions. Since no piracy has been observed, it cannot assume universal jurisdiction and intervene in these ships. The excessive use of force and abuse of authority is evident, and the UN Human Rights Council has accused Israel of this. On the other hand, none of the conditions of the law of war and mobilization allow for the prevention of civilians' basic needs. Providing for the basic needs of prisoners, let alone civilians, is a condition of international law. In this context, Israeli arguments are not widely accepted” he said.
“Israel’s actions are a powerful reason for the global disruption of civilian and humanitarian aid activities. Those who accept Israel’s actions and attacks as precedents may cause similar rights violations in many other regions in the future. The criminalization of activists and humanitarian aid workers as supporters of terrorism is a widespread manipulation tactic. These actions violate all interpretations of the law of war, and Israel is turning the issue of humanitarian aid into a political bargaining tool. Issues that should never be negotiated are being used as leverage, and Israel presents these to its interlocutors as gains. Legal processes are underway in the UN and international courts (ICC) to prevent such interventions, but political obstacles are preventing any progress” he concluded.
