“We are aware of the risks”: Canadians determined to break the siege of Gaza | Radio-Canada

Twelve Canadians are taking part in a new flotilla which set sail on Thursday from Greece and Turkey, in the hope of breaking the siege imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip for nearly 20 years.

In total, this international flotilla is made up of 54 boats bringing together nearly 500 people from more than 45 countries, indicate the organizers.

This initiative, organized by the “Soumoud Global Flotilla” and the “Freedom Flotilla Coalition”, is the second of its kind in two weeks. The previous one was intercepted on April 30 by Israeli forces in international waters. One hundred and seventy-five activists were then briefly arrested, including two Canadian women, including Umir Tiar, a 22-year-old Quebec student.

Contacted by Radio-Canada, the young woman said she was still determined to break the blockade of Palestinian territory.

Despite the risks that persist, we are truly determined to move forward with the mission of delivering aid to Gaza.

No matter what strategies and tactics are used to kill the pro-Palestinian movement, they will not succeed in killing our resolve.she assures in a message sent a few hours before the departure of the flotilla.

On est prêts!says Safa Chebbi, spokesperson for the “Soumoud Global Flotilla”. It ensures that the crew is prepared to face any eventuality.

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Obviously, this is a mission that involves a lot of risk. We are aware of thisexplains the activist à Radio-Canada. We have followed training to prepare ourselves for the different possible scenarios, we also have protocols in place for each of these scenarios.

In 2010, Israeli commandos led an assault against an international flotilla for Gaza, which left nine people dead and more than 20 injured. The Israeli army then recognized errors at a relatively higher level during the planning and execution of the attack.

Every night that passes we expect to be attacked by Israeli forcessays Ehab Lotayef, a 67-year-old Montreal engineer, who has taken part in several flotillas since 2011.

We are doing simulation exercises, we are prepared to respond peacefully to any interception or attack we may face.

The other option is to remain silent, and that is something we cannot dohe said again.

“The siege of Gaza is more than physical: it is also mental”

Israel has imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the Gaza Strip since June 2007, when the Islamist movement Hamas took control of the Palestinian enclave. The siege was significantly strengthened during the war, triggered by Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, leading to a mass starvation in the Palestinian enclave, according toHIM.

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Ko Timaung, a Rohingya activist from Toronto, is participating in this initiative for the first time. He sees many similarities between the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and that of the persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar.

For me, the two causes are connectedthe 44-year-old activist, who heads the Rohingya Human Rights Network, told Radio-Canada.

In 2017, the Burmese army launched a brutal offensive against the Rohingya in response to attacks by an insurgent group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, against around 30 police and military posts. Some 700,000 Rohingyas then fled the repression and dozens of villages were completely destroyed.

These crimes were recognized as being a genocide by Canada, a year later.

The activist, who arrived as a refugee on Canadian soil almost 20 years ago, says he worried the risks incurred by the flotilla to get to Gaza, but this is nothing compared to what Palestinians experience every dayhe assures.

For me, the best possible scenario is that we can arrive in Gaza and distribute humanitarian aid. We have baby milk, multivitamins, medicines, food, bread, etc.dit Ko Timaung.

A wish shared by all the participants interviewed by Radio-Canada.

I find that the siege of Gaza is more than physical: it is also mental. Abandoning this mission is like accepting the idea that the blockade is invincible. We must continue to challenge this idea.

The organizers of the flotilla denounce the inability of the international community to open a humanitarian corridor to the Gaza Strip. In particular, they call on Canada to implement an embargo on the transfer of all military equipment to the Jewish state.

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International silence is simply unacceptabledénonce Ehab Lotayef. The aid we transport by boat is symbolic, we do not claim to be able to resolve the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. If the international community wants a solution, it will have to force Israel to reopen the Rafah crossing point. This is the only way to end this crisis.

Israel partially reopened the main crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip as part of the ceasefire with Hamas, but closed it again when war with Iran broke out in February. The terminal has since partially reopened, but the number of trucks authorized to cross into Gaza remains limited.

In an email, the spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada states that Ottawa is aware that Canadian nationals are participating in the Gaza flotilla.

Consular officers are in contact with local authorities and are ready to provide consular assistance to Canadian citizens who request it.says John Babcock.

Commenting on the blockade, he asserts that Canada maintains its position that United Nations-coordinated humanitarian assistance to and within Gaza must be immediately scaled up to address the catastrophic humanitarian situation.

Radio-Canada also contacted the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Israeli embassy in Ottawa, but no statement had been provided at the time of publishing these lines.