As the Global Sumud Flotilla enters high-risk waters en route to Gaza, an open letter calling for the protection of a University masters student aboard has surpassed 600 signatures.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising roughly 45 boats, set sail towards Gaza on 1 September to deliver humanitarian aid and raise awareness of Israel’s 18-year maritime blockade, declared illegal by the UN Human Rights Council in 2010.
Originally from Mexico and now based in Edinburgh, Miriam Moreno (35), an Environment, Culture and Society MSc student, sails aboard the legal support vessel Shireen.
Alongside Miriam, the 500 activists, journalists, and academics aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla represent 44 different countries, including Scotland.
One of four organisations which united to form the Global Sumud Flotilla in July, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition led their first flotilla in 2010 and organised three such missions earlier this year.
The May flotilla was stopped short by a drone attack near Malta; flotillas in June and July, which received attention for carrying Greta Thunberg and several European parliamentarians, were intercepted in international waters, after which all participants were detained in Israel and eventually deported.
The current flotilla has already faced repeated drone attacks: first in Tunis on 8 and 9 September, and again last Tuesday (23 September) while approaching Crete.
The Israeli government has released documents which it claims tie flotilla leadership to Hamas, which it considers a terrorist group, and state that the Israeli Navy is prepared to intercept the flotilla before reaching Gaza.
In light of prior attacks, members of the University community have circulated an open letter demanding that University leadership issue a public statement calling for Moreno’s safe passage towards Gaza and raise awareness of her journey – given the legal expertise onboard, Shireen is “an especially visible and vulnerable target.”
Echoing prior protest action on campus and a petition to the University Court this month, the letter also demands divestment from companies involved in Israel’s invasion of Gaza, particularly arms companies.
Early on 1 October the Global Sumud Flotilla came within 120 nautical miles of Gaza, where the Israeli navy boarded prior civilian missions, and reported contact with suspected Israeli vessels.
Italy and Spain dispatched naval ships and Turkey drones to monitor the flotilla’s progress after these attacks, but international support has not followed the flotilla into the high-risk 120nm blockade zone.
The University responded to the letter by e-mail, but have not yet issued a public statement regarding the flotilla or Miriam’s involvement.
The Edinburgh University Students’ Association could not immediately provide comment.
Image by Brahim Guedich licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.