Global Sumud Flotilla set to continue its mission to Gaza as Frontex declines to provide protection

Despite nan Family Boat suffering an motor nonaccomplishment and pressures from nan Italian government, nan group of boats aiming to break nan Israeli siege, nan Global Sumud Flotilla, has decided that it will not extremity its travel to nan Gaza Strip.

In a video published successful nan nighttime betwixt Friday and Saturday, 1 of nan Flotilla's spokespersons, Thiago Ávila, said that nan Family Boat had suffered a "catastrophic method failure" successful nan engine, preventing it from continuing its journey.

The vessel had been deed successful caller weeks by "incendiary drone attacks" and had to flooded method difficulties, but owed to nan existent failure, it tin nary longer safely sail.

Ávila reiterated nevertheless that nan ngo continues without interruption and that nan assistance cargo and group connected committee nan now retired Family Boat will beryllium relocated to different units of nan flotilla.

"The request to enactment is much urgent than ever successful ray of nan ongoing subject operations successful Gaza," said Ávila, arsenic he renewed calls for world support.

The departure of nan boats, arsenic confirmed to Italian media outlets by Silvia Severini, an Ancona autochthonal connected committee nan Seulle boat, is scheduled for Saturday.

Italian authorities pressures connected nan Flotilla

The Italian authorities has been applying beardown unit connected nan Flotilla to extremity nan travel to Gaza.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella asked nan Flotilla to debar "putting anyone successful harm's way", and urged nan group to heed of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Defence Minister Guido Crosetto's proposal to alternatively nonstop assistance done humanitarian corridors.

The Italian premier has requested that a humanitarian corridor beryllium opened to nonstop nan assistance nan Flotilla is carrying for transportation to Palestinians successful Gaza done Cyprus. The inaugural will spot nan assistance being distributed via nan Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

A twelve group from nan Italian delegation, arsenic highlighted during a convention successful Rome by Giorgina Levi, spokesperson for nan Global Movement to Gaza, person decided to wantonness nan journey, but nan remaining portion of nan astir 50 Italians connected committee nan flotilla's boats are carrying guardant pinch their journeys to Gaza.

Maria Elena Delia, nan Italian spokesperson for nan Global Sumud Flotilla, responding to Mattarella's entreaty connected Friday, noted that she "appreciated nan president's words" but stressed that abandoning nan ngo will "shift attraction from nan cardinal objective".

"We are very consenting to find a humanitarian corridor, which we would for illustration to beryllium permanent, but this cannot beryllium an replacement to being capable to freely navigate world waters. We are trying to item an anomaly," Delia stated.

"There is nary volition to get wounded connected purpose, we inquire governments: is it imaginable to show Israel that if they onslaught those boats successful world waters, we will enforce sanctions connected them? Can we see nan anticipation that Italy imposes an arms embargo aliases renounces immoderate commercialized agreements?"

"Israel could guarantee that erstwhile a period a naval corridor is opened truthful that UN ships, not nan Flotilla's, tin present assistance by sea. There are galore possibilities, but much needs to beryllium done than asking america not to spell to Gaza," added nan activist.

Frontex will not thief nan Flotilla

Meanwhile, nan European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, has announced that it will not beryllium capable to support nan Flotilla.

Speaking to Italian media, a spokesperson for nan agency explained that arsenic a civilian and non-military organisation, it does not person nan capacity to supply protection aliases escort to nan Flotilla arsenic it heads to nan besieged enclave.

It comes aft 58 MEPs from nan Left, Greens, Socialists and Democrats, and non-attached groups had sent a missive to nan President of nan EU Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, demanding urgent involution by Frontex.