Gaza aid flotilla rejects Israel’s demand to dock in Ashkelon, calls request part of blockade

The Global Sumud Flotilla on Tuesday rejected Israel’s demand that its vessels dock in Ashkelon to transfer humanitarian aid to Gaza, describing the request as part of Tel Aviv’s long-standing blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Monday warned that flotilla ships would not be allowed to enter what it called an “active combat zone” and accused the Palestinian resistance group Hamas of organizing the mission.

It said aid could instead be unloaded at Ashkelon Port in southern Israel and transferred to Gaza “quickly and in a coordinated manner.”

In a statement, flotilla organizers dismissed the Israeli proposal, stressing that it is not a neutral logistical request but a tactic to obstruct relief and delegitimize those who challenge the siege.

“Since May 2025, after lifting its so-called ‘total blockade,’ Israel has permitted an average of only 70 trucks per day into Gaza, while UN agencies estimate that 500 to 600 trucks are required daily to meet basic needs,” the statement said.

It cited Israel’s record of intercepting vessels, blocking convoys and restricting routes as evidence that the intent “is not to facilitate relief but to control, delay and deny it.”

The flotilla noted that rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned Israel’s restrictions as violations of international law and obstructions of impartial humanitarian assistance.

“Painting a peaceful humanitarian mission as a ‘breach of the law’ is a pretext for violence against civilians acting lawfully to deliver aid,” the statement continued, warning that such rhetoric “flouts international law” and places lives at risk.

The group urged governments, UN agencies and humanitarian organizations to ensure safe passage and protection for aid workers, uphold international humanitarian law by rejecting Israel’s siege, and act decisively to end what it described as “the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

It warned that “anything less risks entrenching a system of forced starvation, deprivation and collective punishment that is costing thousands of Palestinian lives.”

The flotilla includes vessels carrying humanitarian aid, international activists and parliamentarians seeking to break Israel’s blockade by directly reaching Gaza.

On Sept. 16, the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza announced that the flotilla’s ships would gather near the island nation of Malta to sail together across the Mediterranean toward Gaza’s shores, without specifying a date.

It is the largest effort of its kind, aiming to reach Gaza, where 2.4 million Palestinians live under an Israeli blockade that has lasted 18 years.

Israel has previously intercepted Gaza-bound ships, seizing the vessels and deporting those on board.UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where more than 65,300 people have been killed since October 2023.