The European Union said on Monday it doesn’t “encourage” aid flotillas heading to Gaza, as vessels carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian activists including Greta Thunberg sail for the war-ravaged territory.
“We don’t encourage flotillas like this, because basically they can escalate the situation, and they also put their participants at risk,” EU spokeswoman Eva Hrncirova said.
She said the EU believes the “best way … to deliver the humanitarian aid” is via partner organisations working on the ground.
“This is what we try to achieve, to deliver the humanitarian aid in a larger scale, and we keep the channels with Israel open, and we talk to Israeli authorities,” she said.
A Gaza-bound flotilla of around 20 boats left Barcelona last week and is scheduled to reach its destination by mid-September.
It comes after Israel blocked two activist attempts to deliver aid to the devastated Palestinian territory by ship in June and July.
The United Nations has declared a famine in Gaza, warning that 500,000 people face “catastrophic” conditions as Israel wages war on Palestinian militant group Hamas in retaliation for its 7 October 2023 attacks.
The EU is pushing Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, but has so far struggled to exert pressure due to splits within the 27-nation bloc.
(vib)
