Gaza is in agony. It has been under intense bombardment for two years since the October 7 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas in which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage.
Israel has not only flattened most of Gaza in response, killing about 67,000 people so far, but has also instituted a cruel blockade that prevents aid coming in, effectively starving its already battered citizens.
This week Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla — a fleet of 44 vessels carrying essential aid to the besieged area — in international waters and detained more than 460 activists. Among the detainees are four South Africans, including Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla.
Global outrage erupted at the Israeli action, and President Cyril Ramaphosa demanded the immediate release of the captives. Among the captives is local author Zukiswa Wanner, who writes in the paper today on why she took part in the flotilla.
This brazen act by Israel is not mere interdiction; it is a flagrant violation of international law and human dignity. Israel must free these detainees immediately. They are not combatants but citizens of conscience. They include Swedish climate icon Greta Thunberg and veteran US actress Susan Sarandon.
Aid is not a crime, and Gaza’s plight demands passage, not piracy. The Sumud detainees are brave humanitarians from around the world who have declared, at personal cost, that they will not remain silent while Gaza is wiped out. They were carrying aid, not weapons; and bearing a message to the besieged that the world hears their cries.
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