The “Freedom Flotilla”, which was supposed to transport food and medicine to Gaza, was bypassed by the Israeli state, argues a Quebecer who participated in this humanitarian mission.
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In an interview with LCN, Quebec activist and epidemiologist Nimâ Machouf criticized Israel for blocking the shipment of 5,500 tons of humanitarian materials intended for the Gazans.
The Quebec delegation which participated in the mission went to join the “Freedom Flotilla” in Istanbul, Turkey, from where it was to leave to go to Gaza.
“Israel sabotaged the mission, prevented the departure that we had planned last week,” however, claims the DD Machouf.
The latter maintains that Israel put pressure on Guinea-Bissau, since one of the boats of the “Freedom Flotilla” was sailing under the flag of this West African country.
“Guinea-Bissau had granted accreditation to the flotilla, had done all the inspections, had done all the administrative paperwork and all that. Finally, with a second inspection, an unexpected new inspection, it was like an excuse and they told the boat owner: “if you assure us you are going anywhere except [à] Gaza, we will allow you to sail under our flag,” says Nimâ Machouf.
- Listen to the interview with Niall Clapham Ricardo, member of Independent Jewish Voices, on Yasmine Abdelfadel’s show via QUB:
“It’s very difficult”
Activist and epidemiologist Nimâ Machouf recalls that the situation is currently “very difficult” in Gaza.
“There are about a million people who are homeless, 34,000 people who have already died in the war with the bombs, the shells and all that, of which 14,000 are children,” she says.
Added to this catastrophic human toll is the heavy damage inflicted on buildings in Gaza.
“Israel is destroying the entire infrastructure of Gaza. Its objective is obviously to annihilate, to destroy Gaza and to be able to settle there in complete peace of mind,” maintains M.me Machouf.
She believes that Quebec, like the rest of the international community, must do more to encourage Israel to respect the fundamental rights of Gazans.
“Israel is violating all these international laws before our eyes and no country dares to reprimand it,” laments the activist.
“People are fed up to see that their government is doing nothing about this injustice and it is not true that it is Israel’s self-defense. It’s not a question of defense, they are destroying a country and people have had enough,” she adds.
To see the full interview, watch the video above.
