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<h1 class="gmail-single_title">GSF nears Greece as activists defy
Israeli threats to abort their attempt to break Gaza blockade</h1>
<p class="gmail-single_date">Tuesday 23-September-2025 - <font
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href="https://english.palinfo.com/news/2025/09/23/348352/"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://english.palinfo.com/news/2025/09/23/348352/</a></font></p>
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<p>GAZA, (PIC)</p>
<p>The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) sailing to break Israel\u2019s
blockade on Gaza is approaching Greek territorial waters near
Crete, with organizers estimating it will reach Gaza within
six days.</p>
<p>The GSF, made up of dozens of boats and ships carrying
activists from nearly 50 countries, marks the largest civilian
maritime effort yet to challenge Israel\u2019s 18-year siege on the
Strip, where famine has already claimed the lives of at least
442 Palestinians.</p>
<p>Organizers reported unidentified drones hovering over the
ships for three consecutive nights, a development they
condemned as an attempt to intimidate and discredit the
mission. They also recalled earlier incidents in Tunisia,
where two flotilla vessels were struck by Israeli drones in
the port of Sidi Bou Said. Israel has remained silent on those
attacks.</p>
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<p>French parliamentarian François Piquemal, who joined the
flotilla, accused Israel of systematically smearing anyone who
speaks out against what he described as genocide in Gaza.
\u201cThis is a purely civilian and humanitarian initiative,\u201d he
told Anadolu Agency, stressing that participants include
doctors, aid workers, politicians, journalists, and artists.</p>
<p>\u201cThese accusations are the usual tactics of a state
committing genocide,\u201d Piquemal said. \u201cEven Pope Francis was
recently labeled anti-Semitic. Such rhetoric is meant to
distract from the reality of terror.\u201d</p>
<p>He emphasized that the mission is guided by humanitarian
duty, not politics, \u201cParticipants in this flotilla refuse to
stand by and simply watch Gaza starve. They are acting because
the international community has failed.\u201d</p>
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<p>Organizers underscored that their civilian, peaceful effort
complies with international law and that delivering aid by sea
to Gaza is a protected right. They denounced Israel\u2019s threats
against the flotilla, calling them illegal attempts to
maintain a blockade that has plunged 2.4 million Palestinians
into starvation.</p>
<p>Since March 2 this year, Israel has sealed all Gaza
crossings, barring food and aid trucks, while allowing only
extremely limited assistance that fails to meet even minimum
survival needs. Many trucks have also been looted by gangs
protected by the Israeli army.</p>
<p>Backed by the US, Israel\u2019s genocide in Gaza has killed more
than 65,000 Palestinians and wounded over 166,000 since
October 7, 2023.</p>
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